The
Jacksonville papers speak in well-deserved praise of Hinkley &
Kimball's Oregon circus. The institution is on its winding way to New
Mexico. It is worthy of note that the circus bills were printed at this
office. Those having anything in the printing line to be done will do
well to make a note of that.Oregon Weekly Times, Portland, July 17, 1858, page 2

Denby &
Co.'s Circus performed at Lakeport Tuesday evening, and although the
admission was a dollar, there was as many people in the tent as could
be comfortably seated. Contrary to what previous exhibitions had led
people to expect, the show was a good one throughout. The members of
the company are the best behaved, best dressed and in many ways the
most capable set of circus performers we have seen for many years,
while for variety and excellence the performance itself was fairly and
squarely up to the promises made for it.--Kelseyville [California] Journal, May 22. Denby's Circus in Eugene Tuesday, August 5th."Brief Mention," Eugene Guard, July 26, 1884, page 5

Sensible men and women will steer clear of the
alleged John Robinson circus, which is to
exhibit at Ashland soon. It is a bilk on its
face, and merely a catchpenny arrangement to
clear the country of its spare cash.
It is said that the sharpers
which follow Robinson's circus to prey upon the
community were not allowed to manipulate their
games at Dayton and Walla Walla. They were given
full sway at Pendleton and cleaned up several
hundred dollars. The authorities at Grants Pass
and Ashland should summarily squelch these thugs
and thieves when they arrive.
"Here and There," Democratic
Times,
Jacksonville, July 25, 1890, page
3

Keep your hands in
your pockets and bolts on your doors
while the circus is in the valley. It is
always accompanied by a gang of thieves
of different stripes.
"Here and There," Democratic
Times,
Jacksonville, August 1, 1890,
page 3

The Coming Circus.

The
new united monster shows will be at Medford
on Friday, April 17th. From all accounts
this mammoth combination, with its wonderful
galaxy of arenic talent and wonders from
wonderland, will with its advent here mark
an epoch in the history of this section. It
is by far the greatest circus in the
universe, and our citizens, both far and
near, should feel specially favored by its
coming. One feature alone of its many
attractions, Queen Jumbo, is enough to
arouse the curiosity and attention of
everybody within fifty miles. The presence
of the largest animal in the history of the
world, and that a living, breathing, moving
mountain of flesh, is sufficient to startle
the sluggish blood of the most inert among
us. See advertisement elsewhere in our
columns. An excursion train will run between
Jacksonville and Medford on that occasion.Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, April 10, 1891,
page 3

A
Thieving Gang on the Rampage.

McMahon's
Circus performed at different points in the
valley last week to fair-sized audiences.
During its stay the hangers-on robbed all
they could by gambling devices and then
finished their stay by stealing everything
in sight. Several parties had to go to the
cars of the company to recover their
effects, which were reluctantly given up
even then, the proprietors of the circus
acting as if they had an understanding with
the thieves. Whisky and cigars were also
sold without license and other lawlessness
indulged in. Should this gang visit southern
Oregon again, it will meet a warm reception.
The majority of them should be serving the
state in the penitentiary even now.Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, April 24, 1891,
page 3

Democratic
Times,
August 7, 1891, page 2

An
Avalanche of Wonder and Fun.

Sells' great
show is blocked for Medford on Monday, August
24, and, regarded as a whole, it is doubtless
without parallel. Wherein it differs from others
is this: In its rare variety, its endless
interest, its boundless capacity to please every
taste. Good things with it are not doled out
with a grudging hand; they are poured forth in a
Niagara-like profusion, typical of the great
country of greatest enterprises. Here we have a
regal Roman hippodrome, a five-continent
menagerie, three big circuses, a wild Moorish
caravan, performing droves of wild and domestic
beasts, a huge tropical aquarium, aviary, royal
Japanese troupe, Arabian Nights entertainment,
spectacular pilgrimage to Mecca, and splendid
free street parade, rolled into one tremendous
alliance, for but one price of admission; or
more properly speaking, roaring, rushing,
racing, marching, dancing, gliding, tumbling,
soaring, diving and disporting under some ten
acres of tents. Whew! The very thought of it
fairly makes one catch his breath, and not only
is it all a very great, but it is a very good,
clean, admirably managed show, under the
immediate eye of its proprietors, and free from
any and every annoyance or objectionable
association.Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, August 7, 1891,
page 3

Sells Bros.'
advertising wagon has been in the valley,
and the dead walls in many of the towns are
covered with flaming posters."Local Notes," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, August 7, 1891,
page 3

Sells
Bros.'
20th Annual Tour.

Other shows may come and go, but Sells Brothers'
Enormous United Exhibitions, like Tennyson's
brook, seem destined to "go on forever." They
have already been under one and the same
ownership and management longer than any other
similar enterprise now in existence, and their
continual increase in size, attractiveness and
popularity is a fair sign of health and
longevity. Messrs. Sells are legitimate,
enterprising showmen and honorable men, with
whom it is both pleasurable and profitable to do
business. As such, both they and their
stupendous and elegant entertainment will be
again and most heartily welcome at Medford on
Monday next. For their present tour there are
wild beasts, hippodromatic circus spectacular,
and other resources of instruction and amusement
have been largely increased, and they
undoubtedly present altogether the biggest and
best show of its kind in the world. They manage
it in person, and it is so conducted as to
deserve and obtain universal popularity and
patronage.Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
August 21, 1891, page 2

Sells Bros.' second advertising car was here
during the week renewing posters, etc.
Look out for the sure-thing
gamblers, thieves, etc., which always follow in
the wake of a circus.
The usual number of fools
will be in Medford Monday who think they can
beat the circus men at their own games. Some men
will not even learn by experience.
All of the exchanges along
the line of march of the circus have been
systematically warning the public to beware of
the brace games and sure snaps of the fakirs who
accompany such aggregations of wonders, and our
own citizens would do well to heed the warning.
There is not one among the fakirs but
understands how to gull the average citizen, and
if the a.c. could only be made to see this
fact with the appalling distinctness that the
fakir sees it, the occupation of the latter
would be gone."Here and There," Democratic
Times,
Jacksonville, August 21, 1891, page 3

Trains
on Circus Day.

The R.R.V.R.
Co. will run trains to Medford next Monday, the
24th, as often as necessary for the
accommodation of the people, and a special train
will be run after night for the convenience of
those who may desire to remain for the evening
performance.Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
August 21, 1891, page 3

The
Circus.

Sells Bros.' circus exhibited at Medford on
August 24th. Several thousand people attended
the day performance, but the attendance at night
was light. A number of new features were
introduced, but it was "the same old thing" for
the most part. Still, better satisfaction was
given than is usually the case. Those in charge
of the affair are courteous and honorable, which
is too frequently the exception to the rule.
Another noticeable feature was the absence of
the sure-thing gamblers and sneak thieves, who
have often been the adjunct of the modern
circus. The only serious complaint we hear since
Sells Bros. left is that they took away a few
thousand dollars of the cash so badly needed in
the valley.Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
August 28, 1891, page 2

The
circus had a big crowd at Medford last Monday,
and the people were roasted, boiled or broiled,
according to their position in the big tent. The
lemonade boys became millionaires, and the
vendors of palm-leaf fans did a business that
made them as autocratic as an unrivaled railroad
corporation. The train went over the Siskiyous
in three sections, and there were fourteen
engines in the Ashland yard Monday evening,
including those waiting for the circus. The show
was at Yreka Tuesday."Brevities," Ashland
Tidings, August 28, 1891, page 3

Fun
for the Boys

While the
large tank which held the big pair of
hippopotami for the Sells Bros.' circus was
being taken to the show grounds last Sunday, it
mired down in front of Dr. Jones' place and the
animals had to be liberated before the vehicle
could be extricated from the mire. They sported
in the water ditch for several moments and
showed themselves off to an excellent advantage.
With this and a ten-horse runaway, besides
seeing a pair of elephants lift the tank from
the mire, we can truly say the boys enjoyed
it.--[Medford Mail.Ashland Tidings, September
4,
1891, page 2

The circus was pronounced very
good by those in attendance, but the crowd was not
very large."Local Notes," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, April 22, 1892,
page 3

The manner in which our city
marshal was fooled by the fraudulent drunk at the
circus meets with the approval of Young America,
regardless of piety, party or previous condition."Medford Squibs," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, April 29, 1892,
page 2

N. Ahlstrom reports that the circus that exhibited
back of the new depot in Ashland three years ago introduced the Canada
thistle in that neighborhood, and that notwithstanding that he has cut
it down several times it keeps on increasing every year and will soon
threaten to overrun the whole county if some effort is not made to wipe
it out. The authorities should see that this dangerous nest is nipped
in its incipiency.

"Brevity Basket," Valley Record, Ashland, August 11,
1892, page 3

Washburn's
Great Shows.

Leon W. Washburn's Combined Circus,
Menagerie, Hippodrome, Wild West and
Congress of Living Wonders will exhibit at
Medford Wednesday, July 26. Reports from all
quarters pronounce the above shows the
leaders in tented amusements and cannot fail
to interest the masses. That it possesses
many rare animals never before seen in this
country, the only real aquatic show of sea
animals, a great hippodrome, a double circus
and many phenomenal living wonders is
without question. Its career has been a
triumphal success. It is enthusiastically
received and immensely patronized everywhere
it spreads its tents, and it is said to give
more and better show than any other
organization in America. The newspapers are
unanimous in its praise. A grand outpouring
of the populace here on show day may be
looked for.Medford
Mail,
July 14, 1893, page 3

The
Washburn Circus.

From
Daily Oregonian.The
L.
W. Washburn circus made a fine parade
through the principal streets yesterday
morning and showed to two packed houses
afternoon and evening at Twenty-Fourth
and Raleigh streets. Ninety-five percent
of the matinee audience was composed of
ladies and children, and at night people
were turned away by hundreds. The baby
elephant, Cupid, seemed to be the chief
attraction. He is the first elephant in
miniature ever seen on the Pacific Coast
and is a whole show in himself. The
performance is very creditable, the fine
horses and handsome wardrobes being
especially noticeable. The acrobatic,
gymnastics, "Wild West" and hippodrome
features succeed each other in rapid
succession.Medford
Mail,
July 21, 1893, page 2

The bill poster
for the big show at Medford was here
ornamenting the side of Mr. Pool's barn
with the highly colored wonders of the
show."Eagle Point
Eaglets," Medford
Mail, July 21, 1893, page 4

The great (?)
circus has been and gone, and he who
paid a big silver dollar for admission
is eighty cents [the] loser. Like most
shows the best, and as a matter of fact
the greater, part of the program
appeared in glowing colors on the
billboards and high fences about
town--deception, thy name is a railroad
circus. Some of the tumbling was good,
the trapeze work was all right and in
some respects above the average, the
bare horseback riding was very tame as
was also the big elephant, which to all
intent and purpose has been in this
condition for upwards of three
centuries. There were three lions, but
the lady didn't walk into their mouths.
It was, however, given out as an
inducement to the matinee audience to
put up their quarters and remain at the
concert, that the lions would be fed
some meat and that the concert audience
might look on while the feat was being
performed. The inducement didn't induce,
and the lions were compelled to eat of
their fresh meat all by their little
lonely. It was to be regretted that the
great big elephant and the great little
elephant were kept in so limited a
space. It was cruelty--"from the cradle
to the grave." A menagerie tent, with
three big flags on top, and covering
upwards of an acre of ground, is hardly
sufficient to give free, easy movement
to two elephants and a pink lemonade
stand. There was quite a crowd of people
in Medford in the morning intent upon
circus amusement, but after the parade
their horses' heads, many of them, were
turned homeward and they wisely reserved
their dollars for more deserving
purposes.
To Ulysses M. Damon
the people of Medford are indebted for a
small chunk of excitement on circus day.
The circus had arrived--and then a gloom
like unto the continued peal of a death
knell had settled over the city, but Mr.
Damon livened things up a little. He
drove his horse and buggy down where the
big elephant was confined in the little
tent. The horse, upon seeing this big
elephant emerge from the little tent,
took fright and ran away. Alex. Hanley
was in the buggy at the time and was
thrown to the ground. He was injured
slightly--enough, however, to keep him
from seeing the lions eat meat, and this
last was considerable of a bruise on his
circus ardor.
"All the Local News," Medford
Mail, July 28, 1893, page 3

Washburn's circus brought
a big crowd to town last Wednesday, but it
seemed as if the majority only patronized
the free part of the show, and wise they
were, too. The parade was on a par with the
ring performances, etc., and the public was
therefore forewarned."Medford
Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
July 28, 1893, page 2

Quite a number of
the residents of Jacksonville
attended the circus at Medford on
the 26th. Afterward most of them
wouldn't acknowledge that they had
been there, however."Here
and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
July 28, 1893, page 3

Washburn's
greatest snide show [sic]
traveling has quit business. The show
disbanded at Sisson, Calif. this week.
There is surely a grain of solace to its
manager in knowing that if he must
disband it won't take long to do it.
"All the Local News,"
Medford Mail, August 11,
1893, page 3

Sells &
Rentfrow's circus is billed to show at
Ashland one week from tomorrow. If it is
as big a bilk as was Washburn's, it will
be well worth your money--to stay at
home. These are entirely too close times
for people to spend money on luxuries."All the Local News,"
Medford Mail, August 18,
1893, page 3

Keep away from
the circus. Spend your money for
some better purpose.
Don't attend the
circus. It is a colossal humbug and
does not merit patronage. The
representations made on the big
posters are false and misleading."Local
Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
August 18, 1893, page 3

The Oregonian
said Washburn's circus was all
right and a good one. It proved to be a
bilk--and the Oregonian
lied. It now says Sells & Rentfrow's
is first-class and that the ticket agent
had to quit selling tickets long before
the performance began "because the tent
was jammed" and "there were no more
seats to be sold." Is the Oregonian
lying again? If it is, it is no
less a bilk than the circus--even worse.
It conspires to steal from its own
people while to the circus men we are
all strangers.Medford
Mail,
August 25, 1893, page 2

The
Heavens Be Praised.

From
the Eugene Register.
The Kickapoo Medicine Company will
close up shop and quit business
today. They will pack their things
and store them in this city, while
the people will be discharged,
some of them remaining here and
some going east.
This combination
of money filchers were headed this
way, and it is a kind providence
which heads them off before they
reach us. A gang of flour
bin
fakes, two circuses, and a defaulting
county
treasurer is quite as much of
the fake infection as we can
reasonably be expected to tolerate
in one season.Medford
Mail,
September 1, 1893,
page 2

Captain Hugh
Thomason and his company of
Rough Riders, which are the
sensation of the day, who fought
under three flags will appear at
every performance on the
Hippodrome track with the Walter
L. Main shows at Medford,
Saturday, September 9th, and
give the most novel and exciting
exhibition that has ever been
given to the public. They will
be dressed as they were in Cuba,
where they took part in the
battles of San Juan Hill,
Daiquiri, Sibony and El Caney."Local Notes," Democratic
Times,
Jacksonville, August 28,
1899, page 3

The many
features to be exhibited in the
immense menagerie tent with the
Walter L. Main Shows at Medford,
Saturday, September 9th, are too
numerous to give special mention
to each. Suffice to say that
those who are fortunate enough
to see the show will pronounce
it the greatest exhibition of
novelties of the age. The parade
will leave the show grounds at
10 a.m., and its great length
will be commented upon. It will
be one moving mass of gold and
glitter, exhibiting more
features than has ever yet been
attempted. Immediately after the
parade a free exhibition will
take place at the show grounds.
The doors will be open at 1 and
7 o'clock, giving everyone a
chance to see the host of
novelties to be introduced
previous to the regular
performance."Local
Notes,"
Democratic
Times, Jacksonville,
September 4, 1899, page 3

Medford
Mail, September 8, 1899

The
parade
this season with the Walter L. Main Shows which
exhibits at Medford, Saturday, September 9th, is
especially noteworthy in that it contains more
novelties than ever before, notably the Zouave
Drum Crops, a troop of performing elephants, and
an ancient historical Quebec Calash properly
costumed. The parade is said to be of unusual
length and brilliancy, and worth going miles to
witness. The parade will leave show grounds at
10 o'clock a.m. A free exhibition will be given
at the show grounds after the return of the
parade. In order to give all a chance to see the
grand exhibition of the "Congress of Nations" in
the menagerie tent the doors will be open at 4
and 7 o'clock p.m."City Happenings," Medford Mail, September
8, 1899, page 7

Walter L. Main's great
3-ring circus and fashion-plate show of the
world gave two performances to large
audiences at Medford last Saturday. It is
estimated that 4000 people were in
attendance during the day. Everything
advertised was given, and in a clean,
first-class style. Among the performers,
both male and female, are some of the most
celebrated in the world, whose daring feats
electrified the audience. The menagerie
includes a number of animals not often seen.
Altogether it proved an entertainment that
could not but give satisfaction; and all
went away satisfied that they had obtained
their money's worth."Local Notes," Democratic
Times,
Jacksonville, September 11, 1899,
page 3

Circus day has come
and gone. Last Saturday there was in Medford
one of the largest crowds which ever
congregated inside our city limits. It was a
gala day from start to finish--a picnic
alike for old people, young people, fat
people, lean people, tall people, short
people and all kinds of people--and small
boys with gray-headed guardians. The show
train was late in getting here, not arriving
until about 11 o'clock, but this did not
prevent it carrying out its full program. An
advantage was offered by its being late in
that the unloading process could be--and
was--witnessed by pretty nearly everybody.
The parade instead of being made at ten
o'clock was not on until after two o'clock,
but this fact in no way detracted from its
grandeur. It was a fine presentation of many
things beautiful. There were four bands and
a calliope. The Vermont farmer driving his
trained pigs and he riding in the little
cart was one of the funny features of the
parade, while the automobile, or horseless
carriage, was one of the most interesting.
As a whole, the parade was unique, novel and
grand throughout. The entertainment
following immediately after the parade was
in many ways far superior to anything ever
presented in Southern Oregon. The trapeze
performance by the Werntz family--six in
number, three ladies and three
gentlemen--was the most marvelous aerial
feat the writer has ever witnessed; the pony
riding upon the backs of two horses was
another wonderful feat; the acrobatic act by
the Livingstones in full dress was itself a
feature worth the price of admission; the
Vermont farmer with his trained pigs was the
wonder of all--it has been said that a pig
is incapable of being educated, but an
exception has been found to the general
rule. All in all, the Walter L. Main circus
is a grand feature throughout, and none the
least of the many attractions was the
sixty-three trained horses. The show entire
was moral in every particular. There was no
harsh or obscene language used by any of the
employees. The managers, Messrs. J. D. and
Hugh Harrison, are splendid gentlemen, and
their efforts to treat everybody courteously
was a feature not often displayed by
managers of big shows. For the afternoon
performance there were nearly 8000 tickets
sold, but in the evening the attendance was
not so large. There was no disturbance of
any kind--everything was quiet and orderly
all the day through, and this, too, was
remarkable when it is considered that the
crowd was the largest ever congregated in
Jackson County. The merchants did a splendid
business all day--and The
Mail was none the least of
these--many of our good friends remembering
that we have babies to feed and clothe and
that we have premiums to give away.
The short change man was
in evidence at the circus Saturday. Several
citizens were asked to exchange gold for
silver, but only a very few were victimized.
G. L. Schermerhorn, with a spirit of
accommodation peculiarly his, responded to
one of these fellows' requests for gold in
exchange for silver, but when he found
himself short ten dollars, he immediately
made a demand for his shortage from the
fellow making the change, and he got it, and
later he discovered still another shortage
of a five-dollar gold piece. In company with
Marshal Murray he made a demand upon the
management--and got his shiner back. The
management explained that those things were
matters they could not well prevent, but
that they were always willing to make good
any shortage claims made by reputable
citizens--they did not pay their help to
bilk the people and would not permit it when
the fact was made known.
The crowd at the sideshow
last Saturday was so great that several
children fainted from the intense heat and
from being jammed about so unmercifully.
Mrs. Hemstreet also fainted and was carried
out of the tent, where after a few minutes
she was restored to consciousness.
"City Happenings,"
Medford Mail, September 15, 1899,
page 7

Fakirs, pickpockets
and thieves were very conspicuous at the
circus in Medford last Saturday they used
every means possible to extract coin from
visitors, giving short change, picking
pockets and even running all sorts of games.
Their work was very coarse, but there were
plenty of suckers present who were ready and
willing to be bit, and they were."Personal and Local," Gold
Hill News, September 16, 1899,
page 5

The Great
Circus.

As an appropriate climax to a
series of experiments in the matter of
educating a three-year-old monkey, Prof. C.
I. Norris, the famous animal trainer of
Norris & Rowe's Big Shows, will endeavor
to make the monkey talk. To begin with his
accomplishments he sits at a table with
complacency; wears shoes and stockings; is a
wonderful bareback rider and can dress and
undress himself. He rejoices in the name of
Jim Robinson. But the most interesting
experiment is the attempt Prof. Norris is
making to develop Jim's vocal organs. He
says it consists of parts of the methods
used to teach blind children, birds and the
deaf and dumb. The progress made is very
near to that made by a child of a similar
age of Jim, for he uses at present the words
"papa" and "come back." He is a wonderful
jockey, rides a pony man fashion, and turns
back somersaults while the pony is going at
a terrific rate. Jim will be seen with
Norris & Rowe's New Big Trained Animal
Shows, which will exhibit in Medford Friday
afternoon and night under their enormous
waterproof tents, as also will be "Hamlet,"
a stagestruck canine, who was taken in hand
by Prof. Norris and taught to do tricks that
are almost phenomenal. A new grand free
spectacular street carnival and children's
fairyland parade will be given at 11 o'clock
on the morning of the exhibition. Excursion
trains will be run from all adjoining towns
to this big, moral show.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, May
3, 1900, page 3

Don't overlook the street parade of Norris
& Rowe's big trained animal show. It will
be unique as well as handsome and interesting.

"Medford Squibs," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, May 3, 1900, page 3
Leondor Bros.' circus
gave two exhibitions in Medford Wednesday.
The afternoon entertainment was fairly well
patronized, but in the evening there was
only a small crowd in attendance. The
performance, while not as great in extent of
flash and trumpet blast as some shows on the
road, was first-class in what there was of
it. Every feature was good--better than is
generally seen in the larger shows. There is
no flimflamming about it--it's strictly
up-to-date and good in every detail. The
show travels by wagons and has just come in
from a hard trip across deserts and over
mountains in eastern Oregon, and the men and
horses are pretty well jaded. The show was
in Jacksonville yesterday and is billed for
Gold Hill today and Grants Pass Saturday."Additional
Local
Items," Medford
Mail,
July 20, 1900, page 2

Never in the
history of Medford has there been an
entertainment of its kind given our
people equal to the circus performance
given here Monday by the Ringling Bros.
There has been good circuses here in
days agone, but none have been as grand,
as awe-inspiring, as mammoth, as
magnificent as was the one that visited
us Monday. The performance was conducted
upon the same grand scale as was all the
outside show, parade and pomp. The
street parade was the grandest ever seen
in Southern Oregon. Its length was fully
fifteen blocks and was superb in every
feature. The trapeze work, the bareback
riding, the slack wire work, the work of
the contortionists, the society
tumblers, the trained horses, and in
fact every feature was pleasing
throughout, and at the same time much
was new and all marvelous. The
performing elephants was almost beyond a
thought of realization. That the big,
clumsy brutes could be educated as were
these seems almost incomprehensible. The
show trains, four in number, with 65
cars, began arriving Sunday evening
about 6 o'clock, and by eleven o'clock
all had arrived and were unloaded.
During the entire work of unloading
those large wagons and cages not a word
was heard spoken among the men in tones
above ordinary conversation, and not an
oath was heard uttered during all their
stay here. They were the most orderly,
best mannered crowd of circus workers
the writer has ever come in contact
with, and considering that there are
upwards of a thousand people with the
show their good order was remarkable.
Their horses, over 400 in number, were
the best we have ever seen with a show.
There were fully 9500 people in Medford
to witness the events of the day. The
management informed a Mail
reporter that there were fully
7500 people under canvas. The gentleman
further stated that he was more than
pleased with the patronage bestowed upon
the show, and said it was a very much
larger one-stand performance than they
were in the habit of meeting with. Where
all the people came from is a matter of
much guessing by our townspeople, but
that they were here is undisputed. They
came from Klamath, Lake, Josephine and
Douglas counties, and from Siskiyou
County, in California. It was a
red-letter day for Medford merchants,
hotels, restaurants, confectioneries and
feed barns. Everybody was well satisfied
with the entertainment, and if Ringling
Bros. ever come this way again they will
be royally met by a country full of
anxious people."City Happenings," Medford
Mail, September 14, 1900,
page 7

Baird &
Clinton's dog and pony show gave two
exhibitions in Medford Tuesday. They
had a fair attendance at the
afternoon performance, but were
greeted by a very slim audience in
the evening. The best part of the
show is their advance lithograph
sheets--like all other circuses."City
Happenings,"
Medford
Mail, June 28, 1901, page 7

M. F. Parker:--"Say,
is Medford going to have a circus this
season? Oh, I don't care much about it
myself, but on the quiet, I never let one
escape me if I am in reaching distance. But
what I am asking for is this: When I came
past the reservation in Klamath County last
week, I was asked that question by twenty
different Indians, and I have agreed to let
them know. They are all coming to Medford
this fall to do their shopping, and they
want to date their coming even with circus
day."City
Happenings,"
Medford
Mail, August 23, 1901, page 7

From
appearances on
the Medford
streets
Tuesday
morning, the
truant list at
the public
schools must
have been an
unusually long
one. To the
casual
onlooker most
of the
children in
town seemed to
be on hand
when the train
bearing Norris
& Rowe's
big shows
pulled in--and
then some
more. The
parade
appeared about
11 o'clock and
was witnessed
by a large and
interested
crowd. The
afternoon
performance
was well
attended, and
was well
worthy of
patronage. It
is remarkable
to what a high
point of
education some
of the animals
have been
brought,
displaying an
intelligence
and
comprehension
of what was
desired of
them not often
found among
dumb animals.
Norris &
Rowe put out a
good, clean
snow, well
worth the
price of
admission, and
the managers
themselves are
clever, genial
gentlemen,
whom it is a
pleasure to
meet. In the
evening the
crowd was not
so large, but
still there
was a
good-sized
one, and there
was but one
opinion of the
merits of the
show, and many
expressions of
wonder were
heard at the
marvelous
feats
performed by
the trained
animals. A dog
that can stand
on its hind
legs and turn
a back
somersault is
something out
of the
ordinary--there
were two of
them that did
that.
Rosebury, the
talking horse,
is a whole
show by
himself. The
performing
seals were
something new,
and the
intelligence
exhibited by
them was a
revelation.
"City
Happenings," Medford
Mail, April
25, 1902, page
7

Medford
Mail, May 1, 1903

Excuse
That Loves the Ground.

Medford Southern Oregonian.

Medford blacksmith shops will all be closed
on circus day. Do not expect to get
blacksmithing done on that day--the smithies
have a contract to carry the elephants to
water and to amuse the monkeys. Our employees
all threaten a strike if we ask them to work
when there is a circus in town.

Ringling's circus drew together at Medford
Saturday one of the biggest crowds that
ever collected in Southern Oregon. The
streets of Medford seemed almost a solid
mass of people. They were jammed in the
main entrance like sardines, not an inch
of leeway on any side. All trains were
loaded to the utmost capacity, and every
road that enters Medford bore a solid
procession of vehicles. Passengers on the
outgoing northbound evening train saw a
solid string of vehicles, homeward bound,
reaching from Medford to Central Point and
even beyond. It seemed as though every
rancher in the Rogue River Valley went to
the show.
The circus performance
was first class. The trained animals
performed with ready promptness and
pleasing accuracy. The elephants gave a
really marvelous exhibition, and the
trained horses and seals were excellent in
their specialties. The menagerie was large
and interesting.Rogue
River Courier, Grants Pass,
September 3, 1903, page 1

CIRCUS DAY IN
MEDFORD

Friday and Saturday last may be classed as
red-letter days in the history of the business
houses of Medford. There have been other days
when some of our business men have done a larger
volume of business than upon the days mentioned,
but they have been few and far between and
beneficial in a large way to but a few houses.
Friday and Saturday made a large increase in the
receipts on every business house in town--with
the exception of the printers and blacksmiths,
which artisans struck work and went to see "Baby
Boo."

Medford
Mail, August 21, 1903

The aggregate cash
receipts of the business houses of the city, so
closely as could be secured from the data
acquired by a Mail
reporter, who made a from store to
store canvass, figures up $14,000, and it seemed
that the pro rata of increased business was
nearly even distributed among the different
branches of business. It was a big day. There
were at least 14,000 people in the city outside
of those who reside here, and they all had some
money, so it is safe to say that including the
money paid for tickets to the circus something
in the neighborhood of $24,000 in good coin of
the United States was placed in circulation in
two days in this city.
The writer has never before
seen such an orderly crowd of like dimensions in
a town of the size of Medford. There was a
noticeable absence of brawling, and arrests for
disorderly conduct were very few. Everybody was
in a good humor, bent upon securing all the
enjoyment possible from the occasion, and
willing that everybody else should have the same
privilege.
At Haskins' drug store 8000
tickets were sold for the afternoon performance,
and about 6000 more were sold on the grounds. In
the eight thousand tickets sold at Haskins were
numerous reserve seat tickets, also a number of
children's tickets, but when the ticket seller
came to count up his 4,000 and odd dollars he
found that he was just fifty cents out, and
supposed his shortage came from giving out two
tickets instead of one during the sale. These
tickets were all sold within three hours' time.
There seems to be but one
opinion concerning the merits of the show, and
that it is "all right." [In
1903 "all right" meant "very good."]
The performance was all that it was advertised
to be; the parade was the most beautiful and
spectacular ever seen in this part of the state.
The animals advertised were all there, and
there was an utter absence of the sure-thing
gambling and other catchpenny devices usually
with traveling tent shows. Ringling Bros. have a
first-class show, and their welcome is assured
in Southern Oregon should they return again.

SIDE
NOTES OF THE DAY

The largest assemblage of people ever seen in
Southern Oregon were here.
Ringling Bros. lost one of
their valuable draft horses on Saturday. The
animal got down in the car while in transit and
was so badly injured that it died soon after
reaching Medford.
One resident of this
vicinity, who has quite a large family, told a
neighbor that he was coming to town merely to
see the parade, and wouldn't go into the circus
under any consideration, yet the first man the
neighbor saw when he entered the main tent was
the man who wasn't going to the circus in a
front seat surrounded by his entire family--and
it is said that he took in everything, from
peanuts and lemonade to the side shows.
Hotels and restaurants did a
thriving business. Hundreds of people sat up all
night Friday night because they couldn't get
beds, and many on Saturday lunched on cheese and
crackers in the streets, for the reason that
they couldn't get close enough to eating places
to have any assurance of being fed.
There were no catchpenny or
gambling devices connected with the circus. It
was an honest show, honestly conducted.

Medford
Mail, September 4, 1903, page 1

Now a Big
Circus and Menagerie.

Just at present the interest of the
entire world is centered on the
struggle for supremacy between Russia
and Japan, and those of both races
that are in this country are regarded
with more than passing interest. The
American public, however, look with a
more friendly eye upon the Japanese
than the Russians, and for that reason
Norris & Rowe have secured for
their new, big circus, that will
exhibit at Medford, Friday, May 13th,
a troupe of genuine Royal Japanese
acrobats. By royal is meant that the
Oka Troupe have performed before the
Mikado, and it was only by the special
consent of the imperial authorities
that the Oka Troupe were allowed to
leave Japan and come to America under
contract to Norris & Rowe. Those
who have witnessed their performances
have declared it to be simply
marvelous. They perform intricate
feats with a brilliancy, dash and
daring that is pleasing to the eye.
Their picturesque flowing robes,
wrought with the handiwork which only
the deft fingers of the Japanese seem
to fashion, are soon discarded for the
red tights and white trunks, which
give greater freedom. Then begins a
bewildering array of feats of
posturing, balancing, tumbling, lofty
perch, breakaway ladder tricks, etc.,
until the eye fairly aches from
watching the agile athletes perform.
This is but one of the many dazzling
acts that Norris & Rowe have
provided for their new circus
carnival.Medford
Mail,
May 13, 1904, page 4

Jerusalem
and the Crusades, Ringling Brothers'
sublime, beautiful and instructive
spectacular production, is adapted
from the religious and historical
story of which every man, woman and
child in the civilized countries of
the world is familiar.
No
other narrative of Christian history,
with the exception of those treating
directly with the birth and life of
Jesus, is of such thrilling interest
to people of all classes as is the
Crusades, on which Ringling Brothers'
magnificent spectacular production is
builded. Kings, queens, princes,
lords, nobles, chevaliers, knights,
courtiers, functionaries, church
officials, attendants, pilgrims,
pages, soldiers, penitents,
choristers, theologians, students,
serfs, vassals, characteristic types
of every class, dancing girls, singing
women, exuberant children and a
thousand and one other picturesque
characters, give varied animation and
color and enthralling interest to the
panoramic changes of incident and
scene. The grand cathedral at
Clermont, France, from whence the
historic Crusaders started upon their
holy mission, is pictured with classic
accuracy and charming coloring. The
palace yard of the Emir, the Egyptian
ruler at the time of the Crusades, is
portrayed with voluptuous fidelity,
and presents in its passing incidents
the most bewitching exemplification of
ballet and dramatic art. The grand
ballet divertissement in this scene is
an original conception and more
entrancingly beautiful than any
dancing conceit ever invented and
interpreted. The legions of girls
employed in evolving the elegant and
graceful figures of the novel ballet
are artists, graduated from the best
masters of the terpsichorean art,
lithely and lissomely young and
sensitively practiced in accomplishing
the highest and most delightful
effects in dancing study. The barbaric
splendors of the Egyptian court are
revealed in this reveling scene upon a
scale of magnificence and expenditure
never before attempted. This prodigal
display of medieval luxury and
Oriental extravagance is only in
keeping with the progressive policy of
the Ringling Brothers, who have
enlarged and improved every department
of their enormous shows, by far the
greatest in existence, until now they
appear to have reached the climax of
human possibility. The great shows
will exhibit in Medford, Saturday,
September 3d, and give two
performances daily, in the afternoon
at 2 o'clock and in the evening at 8
o'clock.Medford
Mail,
August 19, 1904, page 4

Norris
& Rowe Coming.

The Norris & Rowe Greater
Circus will play their annual
engagement in this city early in
the spring. A few of the facts and
novelties already under contract
are the following:

Medford
Mail,
April 28, 1905

The
Belford family of aerialists, which
consists of two young women, two young men
and two older acrobats; John and Hugh
LaNole and Miss Amy Melnotte in a
sensational high silver wire act; the
Leffel trio of pantomimists and aerial bar
performers; Miss Rose Dockrill, a graceful
lady bareback rider; George Holland,
gymnast and bareback rider; Austin King,
the famous jockey and hurdle rider; Dolly
and Frank Miller in a wonderful bareback
riding act; the Sugimoto troupe of
Japanese lady swordswomen and expert
athletes; the McDonald trio of bicycle
experts; the Gardner family in a thrilling
casting act; John LaNole, the breakaway
ladder expert. The comedy element will be
handled by the famous Jim West, a clown
celebrated in the realm of the white
tents. West will be assisted in his fun by
Billy LaRue and a corps of merrie-makers.
Some of the novelties
in the animal line will be a large number
of pure white Arabian cake-walking horses;
a troupe of performing Russian bears;
performing seals; an act containing one
hundred educated Shetland ponies and one
hundred educated dogs and a beautiful
arrangement for the grand entree called
the "Garland of Flowers," in which ladies
and gentlemen expert riders participate in
a picturesque act of high-class menage.
The show will be given
in three rings and will be the largest
that Norris & Rowe ever sent out.Medford
Mail,
February 3, 1905, page 8

Messrs. Norris & Rowe
determined to make their circus
this season the most memorable one
in their history, and towards that
end have engaged performers in all
departments of the arena that have
gained the greatest fame in this
country and Europe. Last year
witnessed the inception of their
greater circus, and this year will
witness the culmination of their
triumphs as Big Show Showmen.
Towards that end they have engaged
such famous riders as Miss Rose
Dockrill, the daring lady
equestrian; Geo. Holland, the
principal rider; Austin King, the
clever young hurdle and jockey
rider. Dolly and Frank Miller, a
notable duo of equestrians,
brought to this country from the
Paris Hippodrome, where they were
at the height of their fame.
William Sutton, Jos. Haines, Mlle.
Julien and Estelle Settler are a
quartet of dashing bareback
riders. These stars will be
augmented by other riders in
innumerable sensational equestrian
exercises. As a contrast to the
expert riding there will be many
laughable climaxes in the
burlesquing of these acts by
famous clowns, who with their
fooling will create amusement for
the little ones by their absurd
attempts to duplicate the feats
performed by the expert
equestrians in the arena. Norris
& Rowe contend that no circus
visiting this section will be able
to show as many nor as clever a
list of celebrities in expert
horsemanship as will be exhibited
in their arenas.
Exhibitions
will be given in Medford,
Wednesday, May 3; 2 and 8 p.m.

Medford
Mail,
April 21, 1905, page 1

Where
Will You Eat Circus Day.

Circus day comes on Wednesday,
May 3d, and the ladies of the
Baptist church are preparing to
serve dinner and supper on that
day in the Wilson store building,
one door south of The
Medford
Mail printing office.
They will also be prepared to
serve sandwiches and coffee and,
during the afternoon, ice cream,
cake and lemonade.
Yes, that would
be just the thing. Go there and
get your meal, instead of doing
the extra work of getting meals at
home that day. Tell your neighbors
and friends about it. Tell them
that the meals will be "A No. 1,"
and will be served at a cost of
only 25 cents each.
Don't forget
the place--one door south of Medford
Mail office.Medford
Mail, April 21, 1905,
page 1

Exhilarating
and
sensational characterizes the large
number of bareback riding [omission]
as presented by Norris & Rowe's
greater circus this year. Circling the
arena at racing speed, George Holland,
the agile equestrian, supports Miss
Rose Dockrill on one horse while
driving two others. Then comes a
succession of difficult single and
double somersaults, both forward and
backward. Dolly and Frank Miller show
expert horsemanship in mounting and
dismounting; simultaneously riding one
horse, then alternate in vaulting from
one horse to another while dashing
around the arena. Austin King is the
acknowledged bounding jockey champion,
and his achievements this season is
winning new laurels for him. He
successfully guides his high jumping
horses while they vault over hurdles
and barriers of great height. Wm.
Sutton, Jos. Haines, Mlle. Julien and
Estelle Settler engage in an act that
shows all the various paces taught the
high school thoroughbred menage horse.
In the "Spanish trot," "lay down,"
"sit up," "knee high," and pedestal
exhibition they are unequalled. The
eight-horse entree, with the lady and
gentlemen equestrians garlanded with
flowers and going at top speed through
the pretty and difficult "threading
the needle" feat, is one of the most
difficult and attractive numbers. As a
contrast to these sensational
performances, "Jim" West, the famous
clown, attempts to burlesque these
acts upon a trick mule. He really does
accomplish many intricate feats, but
in so grotesque a manner to evoke
shrieks of laughter from the
multitude. The Norris & Rowe
greater circus will exhibit at Medford
Wednesday, May 3d, 2 and 8 p.m.Medford
Mail,
April 28, 1905, page 1

Norris
& Rowe's Circus.

Norris & Rowe's circus
did not draw as large a crowd
as usual this year, partially
on account of the rainy
weather and partially owing to
the fact that everybody in
this neck of the woods is
pretty busy at this time of
the year. However, the big
tents were well filled at the
afternoon performance, and
there was a fair-sized
audience in the evening. The
show has increased in size
from year to year, until now
it might be classed as a
full-fledged circus. New
features have been added, and
there is no better show of its
class on the road than Norris
& Rowe's.Medford
Mail,
May 5, 1905, page 1

Several
years have now passed since a
complete dog and pony circus has
exhibited in this state. Since the
Norris & Rowe shows have been
turned into a large circus
organization, we have had no
entertainment of this kind.
However, the present season will
mark a change, for the field has
been entered by Cozad's California
Dog, Pony, Monkey and Goat Circus.
The show will be given on a large
scale, as the aggregation travels
in its own special train, and
carries immense waterproof circus
tents, reserved seats, etc., and
every care will be taken of the
large numbers of ladies and
children who are always interested
in an entertainment of this
nature.
A special
feature is the arrangement by the
management to allow the little
folks to ride the ponies free of
charge after the exhibition is
over. An entertainment devoted
exclusively to canines, equines
and simians has always proven
extremely popular and a source of
unlimited pleasure to all classes
of amusement lovers, and no better
illustration of what kindness,
gentleness, patience and love can
accomplish with miniature brutes
could be shown than in the way the
dogs, ponies, monkeys and goats of
the Cozad show express their
delight and appreciation of the
fun they are enjoying when going
through their stunts. There will
be pony drills, a Maypole dance by
children on pretty, prancing
Shetlands; high jumping, hurdle
riding; hippodrome contests and
feats of skill and speed by the
little equines; innumerable tricks
by well-trained dogs and absurdly
laughable antics by grotesque
monkeys.
Popular prices
will prevail during the engagement
of Cozad's show here.

Medford
Mail, May 12, 1905, page 4

Scenes
in
the Deep Sea Divers Exhibition
at the Carnival.

Following
is a description of the numerous
shows that are to be seen at
Medford's Free Spring Street Fair
and Carnival:
There are
twelve pay shows in all, each one
entirely different from the other
and all of which are new to the
public.
The big stadium
is the feature show, and [it] is
really [a] high-class arenic show
equal to the best circuses.
Eliminating the menagerie and
equestrian acts, as it does, it
embraces the best acrobats,
gymnasts, etc., that money can
procure and the terrific leap of
the death chasm by Diavolo, which
is the great feature of this show.
The other pay
shows include Peggy from Paris, an
exquisitely beautiful melange of
marvelous dances. Coon Town, 100
present, real old plantation
darkies, in characteristic cake
walks, singing, dancing and
comicalities.
Capt. Sarco,
deep sea divers, is an intensely
interesting and instructive
exhibition of the actual work in
deep sea diving.
The California
Train Robbery embraces an
excellent exhibition of moving
pictures by an expert operator,
the leading film being the train
robbery, a masterpiece of motion
pictures.
"Creation" is a
phenomenal show that seems to set
all scientific laws at defiance
and may be classed as a
psychological phenomenon.
The "Fire and
Flame," as its name implies,
depends largely upon its company
of spooks, angels and imps, and
assisted by a realistic
"Beelzebub," and clever stage
craft will awe the superstitious,
amaze the credulous and arouse the
normal persons who attend.
The "Mystic
Maze" is where you "get lost" and
are kept busy trying to find
yourself, your neighbor and your
own way out. It is highly amusing.
The "Crazy
House" creates no end of amusement
for those who enter, for the
cleverly constructed glasses
contorts and distorts one's shape
into all sorts of fantastic shapes
and inconceivable widths, lengths
and breadths of form. The results
of a visit are extremely
ludicrous, and one's risibilities
are worked overtime in this show.
The Crystal
Palace, where new and novel
features are displayed in blowing
glass in every conceivable manner,
and the Golden City, is also
another very interesting
exhibition.
Besides the
five big free acts, the Ferris
wheel, merry-go-round and the
riding camels.
Lorita, the
armless wonder.
Yes, there will
be something doing all the time,
as the doors open every evening at
7 and every afternoon, after
Monday, at 2 o'clock.
Date, 22d May.
Place, Medford.

Medford
Mail, May 19, 1905, page 8

Lorita, the Armless Wonder

The Southern
Carnival Co. has been showing in
Medford this week and will close
its engagement here Saturday
night. The attractions are all
first class and are attended by
good-sized audiences. The people
connected with this company are
all quiet and unassuming, and one
wouldn't know they were in town
only when the "spielers" for the
various shows commence calling the
attention of the crowd to the
attractions inside the tent.
Madame Lilijen's high dive from
the top of a pole sixty-five feet
high into a tank containing but
four feet of water, the performer
being at the time enveloped in
flame, is one of the open-air
attractions that never fails to
draw a crowd."City Happenings," Medford
Mail, May 28, 1905,
page 5

AMERICAN
AMUSEMENT
INSTITUTION.BARNUM &
BAILEY'S SHOW.

All the papers of Europe,
without exception, have praised
the wonderful character of the
Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show
on Earth. What they have all
remarked in praise would fill a
book of 10,000 pages of small
print. To transport the vast
material, animals and property of
the big concern requires five
trains of cars, each car nearly
sixty feet long and each train
nearly 2000 feet long, so that all
the trains if made into one would
be over a mile in length. All the
cars will be seen here when the
show arrives on Saturday, August
26th.
Another novel
feature are the tents. Very few
persons can form an idea of their
magnitude and capacity. When it is
stated that the largest building
in New York, Madison Square
Garden, does not seat one-half as
many people as the tent where the
performances are given, one begins
to realize its enormous size.
Nearly fifteen thousand persons
can be comfortably seated in the
main canvas, which has a footrest
for every seat, while the
menagerie tent is 350 feet long.
Arranged in the
main tent are three equestrian
rings, three stages, a race track,
and an aerial enclave, and it is
in and upon these the wonderful
performances take place. In the
menagerie pavilion are other
stages, where the collection of
curiosities are exhibited without
extra charge,and where also are
the handsome cages of wild beasts,
the elephants, baby elephant herd
of giraffes and other objects of
interest. Then there are other
tents, with canvas stalls, canvas
mangers, etc., for the 500 horses,
and still more tents for dressing
rooms, dining rooms, barbers,
blacksmiths and others, the whole
covering an area of twelve acres.
To see all these tents erected in
the short space of two hours is
indeed a wonderful sight, and but
another instance of the remarkable
methods and stupendous resources
of this truly magnificent show.
The vast amount of material
carried, the great number of
employees of all kinds, the army
of performers, the commissary
department--in fact, all the
various parts of the big affair
when combined make such a colossal
gigantic show that few can
possibly comprehend it. And it is
never divided.
There will be
only one performance here, owing
to the long run to Redding,
Calif., but it will be complete in
every way and includes the great
sensation "The Dip of Death." The
show begins at 1 o'clock, doors
open at 12.Medford
Mail,
August 25, 1905, page 1

Barnum
& Bailey's Circus.

The general expression of
the people who attended Barnum
& Bailey's circus Saturday
was one of disappointment. The
circus did not come up to
their expectations. Fact is,
when one sees one of the big
traveling aggregations
nowadays he sees them all,
practically, and when he looks
for new sensations in the next
show that comes along he is
bound to be disappointed.
However, there were several
good acts in the show which
alone were worth the price of
admission, but the balance of
it was what we had all seen
before. In the opinion of many
the bicycle leap of "Volo the
Volitant" was a better feature
than the widely advertised
automobile jump, the latter
being principally a matter of
machinery, the rider having
nothing to do with its success
or failure. The crowd was less
than ones which have attended
former occasions.Medford
Mail,
September 1, 1905,
page 1

EVERYTHING
NEW THIS SEASON.Norris
& Rowe
Circus To
Furnish a
Veritable Feast
of Circus
Novelties.

With the present circus
season the greater Norris
& Rowe Show will
celebrate its eighteenth
birthday. It is but
natural to suppose that in
all this time a vast
quantity of equipment
should be collected, so it
was with considerable
relief that Norris &
Rowe accepted the offer of
a small circus touring the
Middle West to purchase
all their old wardrobe,
costumes, small cages,
dens and chariots. When
the clearance was effected
H. S. Rowe hurried to New
York and there had made to
his order all new big
dens, tableaux wagons,
chariots, cages, floats,
etc., superb new wardrobe,
attractive trappings for
the horses and many novel,
up-to-date circus
fixtures, so when the show
appears here the young
western circus men are
confident that the public
will agree with them that
the title "The New and
Greater Norris & Rowe
Circus, Museum, Menagerie
and Hippodrome" is the
most appropriate name that
could have been given the
show. Not an act of any
kind has been retained
from last season. Many of
the European bareback
riders are making their
first trip to this
country, and quite a
number of the athletes,
midair performers and
acrobats have never been
in this section, and this
is just exactly what
Norris & Rowe wanted.
It was promised last
season that when the show
came this way again every
act, feature, novelty and
all the equipment would be
new and interesting, and
Norris & Rowe are
satisfied in the knowledge
that they have, as always,
lived up to their every
promise. The New and
Greater Norris & Rowe
Circus will give two
exhibitions here Thursday,
May 3d.Medford
Mail,
April 20, 1906,
page 2

Medford
Mail, April 20, 1906

CLOWNS
PROVE INVENTIVE GENIUSES.

That
the circus clown is not always the
foolish fellow he seems is shown by
the ingenious devices Tote Ducrow and
Billy Scott of the Norris & Rowe
circus have invented for evoking
laughter from the little folks. This
season they have invented a breakaway
trolley car. A burlesque circus parade
headed by the clowns starts around the
hippodrome track. They meet the
trolley car coming towards them. They
refuse to get out of the way. The
trolley car starts ahead at full speed
with the inevitable result that the
burlesque parade is broken up, [and]
the car runs over the clowns. They
retaliate by jumping upon the car,
when finally an explosion sends car
and clowns high in the air,
accompanied by the shrieks of delight
from the children. Another of their
laugh-provoking inventions is a large
red automobile called the "Red Devil,"
and devil it is, for when it starts
around the track at full speed it runs
over everybody in sight. Squealing
pigs, scurrying chickens, an old maid
with her market basket, a fat man, a
dude and a tramp are run over with
equal impartiality, and the automobile
finally goes up in smoke after all the
confusion it has caused. The children
will remember these comical fellows
long after they have forgotten
everything else they saw with the
circus. Tote Ducrow and "Happy" Bill
Scott have as assistants in fun-making
Nick Mannigan, "Foolish" Willie Hyatt,
Bob Curtin and "Grotesque" Charlie
Medora. The New and Greater Norris
& Rowe Circus will exhibit at
Medford, Thursday, May 3d.Medford
Mail,
April 27, 1906, page 4

Getting
Better Every Year.

From
a little one-ring affair, with a few
dogs and ponies, Norris & Rowe
have increased the size of their show
year by year, until now they have one
of the largest and best circuses in
the West. At their performance on
Thursday last they attracted the
largest crowd they have ever showed to
in this city, and the unanimous
verdict was that the performance was
equal [to], if not better, than that
given by larger aggregations with more
pretentious reputations that have
shown here before. The best of the old
features have been retained and a
great number of new ones added.Medford
Mail,
May 11, 1906, page 5

All
Medford
was alive this morning early in
anticipation of the arrival of the
great Forepaugh and Sells Brothers
great combined shows. When the first
train arrived in this city from Eugene
it was met by a vast delegation. The
wagons were followed to the show lots
on the west side, where the thousands
who had waited long for the show to
come drank in with wonder the
systematic movements of the small army
of people.
The three great
herds of elephants won particular
attention. The massive pachyderms,
larger in size and in number than
anything that ever came this way,
played to an appreciative audience.
Young Medford, who was to see his
first elephant, made a thorough
examination of the big fellows, and
[but] only for the trainers he might
have crawled up the long trunks of the
monsters to see the whole show from a
point of vantage.
The Forepaugh Sells
shows come to Medford after receiving
the plaudits of the press in every
city where they have stopped. They
give two shows in this city and then
jump south to California.
At noon the giant
parade of over a mile of cars moved
through the main streets of Medford.
Thence back to the grounds and the big
show was ready for its great tent
display. The menagerie is in itself a
show well worth the price of
admission, while the big circus
performance is a kaleidoscope of
daring acts, each worthy of the figure
the circus charges to pass within its
doors. The show has been advertised as
the greatest show that ever played in
Medford. Despite its miles of paper [billboards]
the show lives up to every detail of
its ads, and in this way marks itself
a great show both in size and in
integrity.
Hundreds who
attended the show in the afternoon saw
their first fire engine. The show
carries three complete fire companies,
which are both ornamental as well as
useful. The first scene, which depicts
a burning hotel, is a most stirring
spectacular production. In the center
of the big tent is erected a street
scene. In the middle of it is a hotel.
This catches fire. The fire department
responds and rescues imperiled people
from the third-story windows. Others,
who are cut off by imaginary flames,
jump into life nets. In the line of
equestrian work the Forepaugh Sells
shows are revelations. Some of the
feats of daring that are presented by
the big show make one's heart stop
beating for a second.
In this respect as
well as in many others, the Forepaugh
Sells shows stand at the head of their
line. The performance this afternoon
was given before thousands. Another
show takes place this evening at eight
o'clock. The doors open an hour
earlier.Medford
Daily
Tribune, August 25, 1906,
page 1

Medford
Mail, August 17, 1906

CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORD.

Circus
day has come and gone. For one whole
day the city was in the hands of the
circus man, the small boy and the
sightseer. It was a Fourth of July
with the fireworks left out.
The trains bearing
the big show were late in arriving,
and as a consequence the parade was
delayed until nearly one o'clock, and
the doors to the main show were not
opened until nearly three. During this
time there were several hundred people
waiting in the hot sun for admission,
and there was some adverse comment
concerning this.
Once inside,
however, troubles were forgotten by
all and the crowd seemed bent on
getting all the fun there was in the
occasion. Everybody reveled in the
genuine circus air. It was hot, it was
dusty, the wild animals gave forth
their natural effluvia even more
pungently than usual, the clowns
cracked the jokes which have been
cracked and put together and cracked
again for ages. The young lady in
diaphanous apparel, who pirouetted on
the wide back of a big horse, looked
just like the one we fell in love with
in the days of Montgomery Queens' old,
one-ring show, the tumblers tumbled,
the trapeze performers made apparently
impossible leaps in midair,
the--what's the use trying to tell
about it. One man couldn't see it all
at one time. There was something doing
every minute, and it was all good, and
the crowd appreciated it.
The attendance from
out of town was not as large as it
would otherwise have been had it not
been for the reports disseminated
concerning the prevalence of
diphtheria in Medford. One report was
to the effect that there were three
hundred cases of the disease in
Medford and that twenty deaths had
resulted, when as a matter of fact
there hasn't been a single case in a
malignant form and no deaths which can
be traced to the disease.
On the whole the
show gave good satisfaction.Medford
Mail, August 31, 1906, page
1

The
Great Norris & Rowe
Circus Will Positively
Appear Here.

The popular young western
showmen, Norris & Rowe, advise
us from their Santa Cruz winter
quarters that they will positively
appear in this city next
Monday. The show has been
enlarged to forty-five cars,
traveling in sections of fifteen
cars each. Jas. O. Stuart, general
contracting agent, has been in the
city to purchase large quantities
of supplies, contract for lot
location, billboard space,
excursions, etc.

Medford
Mail, April 19, 1907

The
program is a lengthy one and includes
every act known to the circus arena and in
addition to many odd and unusual features,
trained animals etc. the bareback riders
including such celebrities as Geo.
Holland, somersault rider; Rose Dockrill,
principal rider; Dolly Miller and her high
school horse; Edna Maretta, somersault
bareback rider; Frank Miller and his dog
"Vic" in a hurricane hurdle jockey act;
Frank O'Brien in a comedy mule hurdle act;
Rose Stetson, in a pretty menage act;
Herbert Rumley, the rough rider; Geo.
Settler and his 20 Shetland ponies. The
aerial acts include the Four Flying
Banvard Sisters troupe; the Leffel Troupe
on the aerial bars; the Sisters Rappo,
trapeze performers; the Melno troupe of
aerial silver wire experts; Irene Maretta
on the swinging ladder; the Lanole Bros.
on the unsupported dancing ladder. Novelty
acts include the Seven Avalon troupe of
cyclists; the Montrose-Keno troupe of
grotesque gymnasts; the Adams troupe of
acrobats; Ben Lucier and his giant golden
ladder in backward somersaults; the
Toozoonin Arabs, gun spinners; the
Whirling Dervishes; the Zerhewsky troupe
of Cossack dancers; the Turkish Patrol of
soldiers in a wall-scaling feat, etc.
The trained animals features, including
lions, tigers, bears, wolves, elephants,
camels, llamas, sea lions, dromedaries,
bloodhounds, hyenas, kangaroos, etc. There
will be the usual parade. Souvenirs will
be given this season to commemorate the
twentieth year of the partnership of
Norris & Rowe, and the tour is known
as the "Jubilee Souvenir Season." In
Medford Monday, April 22.Medford
Mail,
April 19, 1907, page 3

Interesting
Exhibition Under Canvas.

The
Great
Norris & Rowe circus, museum,
menagerie and hippodrome made its
annual appearance in this city Monday,
gave two well-attended exhibitions and
pleased many. The show has a number of
novel acts, and keeps moving in an
interesting way from beginning to end.
There are no wasted minutes.
Everything was kept quickly moving,
and good management was shown in every
detail. The small boy was very much in
evidence, and found all the things he
delighted in. The time-honored parade
showed a gay cavalcade of brightly
plumaged knights and ladies,
equestrians and equestriennes; open
dens of wild beasts, thoroughbred
horses, clowns; bands of music,
tableaux wagons and all the
appurtenances of the modern successful
circus. The menagerie was a very fair
one indeed. In this tent one could see
excellent specimens of lions, tigers,
hyena, bears, pumas, kangaroos,
leopards, baby lion, deer, elk,
monkeys, elephants, llamas, camels,
dromedaries, sea lions, wolves,
panthers. Here also was kept the
curiously spotted Arabian horses,
racing thoroughbred stock and
performing Shetland ponies, while out
in the horse tent was a fine
collection of heavy draft stock that
made many a farmer's eyes glisten. In
the big tent proper was given a
creditable exhibition of bareback,
trick, fancy, high school and menage
equestrianism, trapeze performances,
high wire acts, flying acts, casting
acts, feats of juggling, contortion,
aerial horizontal bars, long and high
leaping contests and the always
exciting hippodrome races. Those who
attended expressed themselves well
satisfied, and it would be a person
hard indeed to please who didn't get
their money's worth.Medford
Mail,
April 26, 1907, page 8

The
Circus in Medford.

One
of
the biggest crowds that ever assembled
in Southern Oregon was in Medford
Saturday to witness the Ringling Bros.
circus. From early morning until noon
the people were coming in from all
directions, and in every kind of
conveyance, from puffing autos to a
lumber wagon drawn by those faithful
beasts who, in the words of a famous
Oregonian, are "without pride of
ancestry or hope of posterity."

Medford
Mail,
August 16, 1907

The small
boy, who can barely arise in the
morning in time to escape parental
wrath, was at the depot before the
whistle of the first train came, and
from that time until the last car had
been loaded and departed into the
night, this was a day of unalloyed joy
and excitement.
By the time the
parade was formed, the streets were a
mass of crowding, jostling,
good-natured humanity, bent on getting
all the enjoyment possible out of the
pageant. And it was well worthy of the
effort, for a finer parade was never
witnessed here. Everything looked
bright and well cared-for. The horses
were well groomed and in good spirits,
the animals in the cages were
different from the usual
half-starved-looking, spiritless
specimens one usually sees, but looked
as if, were they given their liberty,
they could render a good account of
themselves.
The performance was
of the very best. Many new features
had been added, and the performers
were of the best talent possible to
get together.
Taken altogether
Ringling Bros.' show was better this
time than ever before, and this means
that it was far and away the best show
of the kind that ever pitched its
tents in Medford.Medford
Mail,
September 6, 1907, page 1

Does
a Little Roasting.

The
Gold
Hill News takes occasion to
point a moral by relating some of the
occurrences of circus day in Medford,
and one is perforce compelled to agree
with him in the main. The system of
handling passenger traffic on days
when large crowds travel over short or
longer distances on the railroads
comes in for a good share of Bro.
Purdin's criticism. He tells of the
crowd waiting at the depot for the
5:09 train until 2:30 in the morning,
and at the same time shows how the law
compelling railroad companies to post
up time of trains every half hour is
made a farce. That bulletin board
showed "guesses" at the time of the
delayed train every 30 minutes or so,
but nobody knew when it would come,
and the expectant passengers were no
better off than they were in the days
when the only information to be had
was a grunt.
Bro. Purdin pays
his respect to the Medford city
government as follows: "And along the
line of poorly managed affairs, the
Medford city council is also deserving
of some special mention from the way
they policed the city on that day. In
the evening while the crowds were
awaiting the arrival of the trains,
hoodlums would pass through the crowd
shoving ladies and children into the
rain and mud and doing other acts of a
like nature, without the least
interference from the police at all.
One lady from Gold Hill was struck
across the shoulders with a riding
whip while her back was turned in a
crowd, by some vagrant, who ought to
have been tarred and feathered. It
would have been a warm occasion for
that miserable speck of humanity had
he been caught by the Gold Hill boys
shortly after it happened."
We might say in
this connection that if the above
miscreant can be identified as a
resident of this city, there will be
no objection by anyone to his being
duly disciplined.Medford
Mail,
September 13, 1907, page 1

BIG
CIRCUS COMING.

The
juveniles
of Medford, together with the
thousands of elders who only go "to
take the children," are thoroughly
prepared for the coming of "the dog
and pony show," formally announced as
Gentry Brothers' Famous Shows, United,
which are to exhibit in Medford
tomorrow afternoon and evening. Ever
since the first announcement of the
show's coming, the parent who happens
to hold the purse strings in each
family in and about Medford has been
beset by overtures more or less direct
looking to such a loosening as would
get the small fry under the Gentry
canvases at least once while the shows
are here.

A Big
Little Feature.

Added to
the superior attractive power of
perfectly trained dogs, ponies and
monkeys, has been the widely spread
knowledge that the only and original
Mrs. General Tom Thumb, happily known
to three generations of amusement
lovers as the cleverest and most
entertaining little woman alive, is
also with the Gentry shows. It has
been announced that the famous little
woman is accompanied by her present
husband, Count Primo Magri, and his
brother, Baron Magri, making a group
of "diminished thirds," which promises
to excite the admiration as well as
the curiosity of all ages of circus
devotees.
Since no trained
animal exhibition is without an
elephant, providing such exhibition is
properly constituted, the Gentrys have
added five performing pachyderms to
their collection since last the shows
were seen here. And then there will be
"Oklahoma," an American-born and -bred
baby camel, a half dozen baby ponies,
some of them barely able to walk, and
groups of trained pigs, sheep and
geese. Several acrobatic features have
also been added to the Gentry shows
playing to big audiences which
continually voice their approval; a
verdict which is rendered in full
measure by the press.Medford
Daily
Tribune, October 12, 1907,
page 3

EVERY
DAY WASH DAY WITH FAMOUS CIRCUSThe Gentry Shows'
Dogs and Ponies Get Many
Practical Lessons in
Cleanliness.

Every
day is "wash day" with the Gentry
Brothers' famous shows, for the
management prides itself on having the
neatest and prettiest of tented shows
on tour, and next to a performance
whose quality and character have given
the shows an enviable individuality
rejoices in that cleanliness which is
next to the highest virtue. So it
happens that one of the big bills in
connection with conducting the trained
animal exhibition is for soap and
water.

Early
morning visitors to the Gentry
Brothers' show grounds at Medford,
October 18, will therefore have the
unusual opportunity of seeing a dog
and pony wash day which sets a
splendid example to the housekeeper
and is calculated to inspire the
onlooker with increased respect for
the 20th century circus as exemplified
by the Gentry Brothers' shows.
The hundreds of
trained dogs with the shows are led to
the grounds as soon as the tents are
in place and then turned loose, but it
is a liberty with a string attached to
it. For no sooner are the dogs on hand
than they are brought fact to face
with the huge iron tubs and even the
unobserving layman can tell by the
expression on their canine
countenances that they know what is
coming. Some are sad and some are
glad; some "yip" in pleased
anticipation and others growl in
sullen resentment; while the
healthiest ones bark their joy and the
weaker ones whine in fear.Medford
Daily
Tribune, October 15, 1907,
page 3

FUN
UNDER CANVAS.Nat Reiss Company
Opens a Medford Engagement
Thursday--
"Meet Me at the
Carnival"--That Is the
Watchword Among the People.

"Meet
me at the carnival" is the watchword
of everyone who is interested in the
big festival that will be given at
Medford October 17-18-19 by the Nat
Reiss Carnival Company. The committee
believe the opening performances
Thursday will be attended by many
thousands of people.
It
is to be a real carnival week. It is
to be a week free from society
restraints, but full of sociability,
real, good, honest, innocent fun.
There will be confetti to fill the
hair of men and the gay gowns of the
girls. There will be blowing of horns,
whistling of balloons, waving of
beribboned canes, congress of bashful
maids, parading of the gay beaux,
visiting, flirting, courting, joking,
teasing, all on the promenade of the
big white city, where Nat Reiss has 12
big shows, two bands and 200
performers, a one-ring circus,
"Dixieland," which is a theater inside
a Mississippi river steamboat, with
plantation songs and scenes,
high-class vaudeville in the Red Dome,
the Ferris wheel, steam gondolas, the
electric theater, with moving pictures
from Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Paris and
London; "Aga," a never-ceasing wonder
and a beautiful picture; Maximo, the
highest-diving dog in the world, Madam
Wanda's 17 trained coach dogs, all of
one mother and several litters, with
the mother as directress general of
her progeny's performances.
There will be more
real sociability of neighbors and
friends meeting and visiting with one
another in the promenade between the
white tents next week at the carnival
than there has been since New Year's
Day.
A carnival is
distinctly a people's entertainment,
and its leading feature is
sociability. The amusements and
entertainments, which are
exceptionally good, are but an
incident to bring the people of the
whole community in pleasant, easy
social abandon, where stiff society
rules are abrogated, and true respect
and genuine good fellowship prevail.
Gates open at 2 and
7 p.m., and good order and good
fellowship are on top from the opening
to the closing of the gates. One
cannot spend a more enjoyable,
entertaining and even instructive
afternoon or evening than by visiting
the carnival.Medford
Daily
Tribune, October 16, 1907,
page 2

CIRCUS PARADE PROVES UP TO
ADVERTISEMENT

The
biggest
of the smaller shows, better known as
Gentry Brothers' Famous Shows, United,
made good its promises of the past
several days and presented to several
thousands on the principal streets
this morning one of the prettiest
street parades ever given by a
traveling circus.
The crowds that
lined the right of way were not only
delighted with the diminutive
chariots, coaches, cages and tableaux
and charmed with the excellence of the
wardrobe and decorative materials used
in the parade, but they were a unit in
expressing surprise at the fine
condition of the hundreds of ponies
and horses. In these particulars,
especially, comparison with any other
circus parade seen here this season is
altogether favorable to the Gentry
Brothers.

Nearly
a Mile Long

In addition
to the quality and individuality of
the various features, not excepting
the inevitable elephants, camels and
calliope, the crowds had occasion to
express surprise at the length of the
"dog and pony" show parade, since the
display was nearly a mile in length.
Notable among the
features were Count and Baron Magri in
the tiny coach originally given Mrs.
Tom Thumb by Barnum; the wagons
bearing the scores of beribboned and
well-groomed dogs; the little pony
colts trotting alongside their
mothers, and the monkeys, some of whom
rode "outside" on top of the cages,
while others were seen in durance vile
behind the bars.

Tents
Are Crowded

Early this
afternoon the doors of the Gentry
tents were thrown open to the
thousands of patrons, mostly children
and their escorts, who came to see the
pony drill, the monkey fire
department, the diving dogs, the
pyramid pony act and the various other
features incident to the
characteristic Gentry program.
Countess Magri--Mrs. General Tom
Thumb--also held court just inside the
main entrance, renewing many
friendships dating back 40 years, and
the pony and animal tent also came in
for a large share of attention.
Following the
afternoon performance all the children
in the audience were given invitations
to ride the ponies, elephants and
camels, and few of them declined the
offer.
The Gentry shows
will exhibit on the same grounds this
evening.Medford
Daily
Tribune, October 18, 1907,
page 4

CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORD

The
small
boys of the city and the surrounding
county sat on hard benches last
Tuesday, munched hard nuts, drank pink
lemonade and proclaimed to all who
were there to hear that "the circus
has come." The youngsters were happy,
and many a man's thoughts turned
backward to the time when he was small
and could enjoy a circus as it should
be enjoyed.
It was a large
crowd that greeted Norris & Rowe's
circus, and for the most part everyone
came away satisfied. The posters had
proclaimed for some time that it was
bigger and larger than ever, and so it
was found. People from the surrounding
county flocked to the city, and at the
afternoon and evening performances the
large circus tent was crowded. It was
a good crowd too, from the circus
manager's standpoint, for they saw all
there was to see and consumed vast
quantities of the standard circus
edibles. Circus day was more like a
holiday than anything else.
Long before the big
parade started in the morning the
streets of the city were crowded, and
latecomers experienced some difficulty
in finding a location from which they
could gain an unobstructed view of the
parade. The vacant lots along the line
[of] parade were crowded with
automobiles, carriages and divers
sorts of vehicles. The circus was
good. Two large rings and an elevated
stage were in evidence, and the
management kept the large crowd amused
for nearly three hours with one
attraction after another. The
menagerie was good and larger than
that of last year. The side shows gave
for the most part a new list of
attractions. As a whole the show was
good, and not many were disappointed.Medford
Mail,
May 1, 1908, page 1

The Norris
& Rowe circus was accompanied
by a number of fresh young men,
who made themselves rather
obnoxious by annoying young girls
and women--without provocation. If
one or two irate citizens had
succeeded in locating certain
members of this bunch, the circus
would likely have been shy an
employee or two the next morning."City Happenings," Medford
Mail, May 1, 1908,
page 5

A
few years ago a herd of elephants,
property of a circus, came near smashing
the bridge through, and since that date
the city government has barred elephants
from the structure."Electric Railroad Barred from Bear
Creek Bridge in Medford," Medford
Sun, February 3, 1911, page 6A
search of Medford ordinance books
indicates no such formal ordinance was
ever passed. A thorough search of
newspaper reports after known circus
performance dates for 1903-1911 found
no newspaper reports about damage to
the bridge.

Southern
Oregonian,
September 26, 1908

BIG
CROWD AT MEDFORDWild West
Show Reports 10,763
Paid Admissions.

MEDFORD, Or., Sept.
28.--(Special.)--"Buffalo
Bill's" Wild West Show here
today brought together one of
the largest crowds ever
assembled in Jackson County.
Colonel Cody said tonight:
"Medford is
the liveliest town for its size
in which my show has appeared. I
expected 3000 attendance, but
had 10,763 paid admissions."
It was pay
day for the employees of the
show, and many of them
distributed a goodly amount of
their earnings among the
business houses here.Morning
Oregonian,
Portland,
September 29, 1908, page 7

CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORDIt is Estimated
that Nearly 12,000 People
Witnessed Show

Yesterday
was circus day in every sense of
the term. It was circus weather,
there was the circus crowd, circus
dust, circus lemonade, and then,
to cap the climax, there was the
show itself, and the general
impression among the thousands who
saw it was that the show was a
good one.
Sunday night
the people started to arrive in
the city for the purpose of
attending the performance, and
from that until the hour for the
opening the people arrived in
droves. They came in rigs, in
automobiles, on trains and many
walked. All were intent on seeing
what will in all probability be
the last appearance of the
world-renowned "Buffalo Bill."
The show opened
with a grand review of the
different rough riders of the
world, the genuine Sioux and
Cheyenne Indians, cowboys,
Cossacks, Mexicans, scouts and
guides, veteran members of the
United States cavalry, a group of
western girl rough riders, and a
detachment of color guards,
soldiers of the armies of America,
England, Germany, Japan, Russia,
Arabia and Mexico.

Medford
Mail, September 25, 1908

Then
there was a group of Mexicans from Old
Mexico who showed the use of the lasso,
the old Deadwood stage coach, and then
Buffalo Bill gave some exhibitions of
expert shooting from horseback while on
the gallop.
The next on the program
was what was termed the "race of races,"
and it was between a cowboy, Cossack,
Mexican, Arab and Indian, on Mexican,
bronco, Indian and Arabian horses.
Attention was directed to the different
seats in saddle by the various riders.
This was won by the Arab.
Then followed the
United States artillery drill, showing the
old muzzle-loading methods. The guns used
were relics of the Civil War. A former
Pony Express rider showed how telegrams of
the republic were distributed and carried
across the continent previous to the
building of telegraphs and railways.
The Arabs and Japanese
performed various feats of agility.
The emigrant train
illustrated a prairie emigrant train
crossing the plains guided by Buffalo
Bill. Incidental to the scene there was a
buffalo hunt, the Virginia Reel on
horseback, songs by the emigrant's
quartette, and high school performances by
Ray Thompson's trained western range
horses, including "Joe Belley," the most
wonderfully trained equine in the world.
After the emigrant camp had settled down
for a night of rest and sleep, the
peaceful scene was distributed by
marauding Indians, and they were repulsed
by the scouts and cowboys.
The battle of Summit
Springs, fought on July 11, 1869, was
shown. During this engagement Buffalo Bill
shot and killed the Indian chief Tall
Bull.
There was football on
horseback, the newest form of equestrian
sport, played under special rules and seen
for the first time in any arena; a drill
by the Sixth Cavalry, showing the
evolutions of the regular army; Johnny
Baker, the celebrated American marksman.
"The Great Train Holdup
and Bandit Hunters of the Union Pacific"
was a scene representing a train holdup on
the western wilds. The bandits stopped the
train, uncoupled the engine from the
coaches, robbed the express car and blew
open the safe. Meanwhile the passengers
were lined up and despoiled of their
valuables. The scene ended with the
arrival of the bandit hunters of the Union
Pacific.
Racing by Indian boys
on bareback ponies, cowboys picking
objects from the ground, lassoing and
riding wild horses; Devlin's Zouaves, in
manual of arms, lightning drills,
finishing with an exhibition of wall
scaling, showing the adaptability of
citizen-soldiery in warfare; Cossacks from
the Caucasus of Russia, in feats of
horsemanship, and then the finale salute.
In spite of the immense
crowd in the city, all were on their good
behavior, and the police had about as
quiet a day in their line as if there had
been nothing unusual doing. There was no
accident, and as far as is known all the
visitors were well taken care of by the
hotels and restaurants and had a real good
time, taking it all in all.Medford
Mail Tribune, October 2,
1908, page 1

Queen Anne
addition, in East Medford, will be
the Wild West show ground. Time
was when a circus tent could be
pitched "close in" to the depot,
but nothing doing for circuses on
the old grounds--they are now all
covered with residences and school
buildings."Local and Personal," Medford
Mail, October 2, 1908,
page 6

CIRCUS
IS COMING.

Norris & Rowe, the circus
managers who recently met with
financial reverses, are to arrive
in this city on the 24th with a
thoroughly up-to-the-hour circus
attraction. The advance agent is
now in Chico and will arrive in
this city in a few days.
The Norris
& Rowe attraction came to
public attention a few months ago
as a result of a financial tangle
in which it became involved. After
touring the southern portion of
California the circus went to
Santa Cruz, where the money
question became so vital that the
animals and other paraphernalia
were sold at auction to pay off
the creditors.
The circus is
now, however, back in the old
hands again, having been bought
back following the realization of
money by the former managers
through investments made in
Alaska."Local and Personal,"
Medford Mail, April 9,
1909, page 2

Medford
Daily
Tribune, April 12, 1909

MANY
VICTIMS OF CIRCUS SHARPERSShort-Change
Artists Fleece People
Who Purchase Reserved
Seats.
Police Say it Was the
Toughest "Bunch" they
Ever Encountered.

The Sacramento Union says: The
police state that the men employed
by the Norris & Rowe circus
are the hardest lot that they have
had to deal with for many moons,
and at the circus grounds last
evening officers Siddon and
McManus were kept busy quelling
fights between circus employees
and outsiders and straightening
out squabbles between the ticket
sellers and citizens who had been
shortchanged. The most flagrant
case of shortchanging occurred at
the reserved seats section, when a
citizen was swindled out of $50 by
one of the employees, and to avoid
any trouble the management of the
show refunded the money to the
victim of the sharper.
A citizen asked
for a reserved seat from a man
named Nelson, who was selling the
seats, and was told that if he had
a $5 or $10 piece he would be
given two reserved seats for a
quarter, the ticket seller
explaining that he had a pocket
full of silver that he wished to
get rid of. The purchaser tendered
the $5 piece, and the ticket
seller said: "Oh, never mind, I
will keep the silver," and pushed
back to the purchaser a nickel.
This occurrence was immediately
reported to the police, and
officers McManus and Siddons
threatened to arrest the ticket
seller unless the matter was
straightened out. The management
of the show agreed to do this, and
the incident was closed.
Over 25 people
reported to the police that they
had been shortchanged, but rather
than make a fuss allowed the
matter to drop.
Yesterday
afternoon an attachment was served
upon the circus by Constable
Haggerty at the instance of
Justice Clarken, in whose court an
action was filed by A. J. Madsen
on behalf of 30 employees of the
show. The men claim that the
Norris & Rowe people owe them
for back salary to the amount of
$200. A bond was filed by the
Norris & Rowe company, and
they state that they will fight
the men in court, as the claim is
not a just one.
Late last night
three employees of the circus
applied to the police, stating
that they had been discharged and
had received no wages. The circus
was on the cars and under way when
the complaint was made, and the
discharged men left for Oroville,
where the circus next shows,
vowing that they would file an
attachment in the Butte County
town.
Early in the
evening Detective Kripp and
Sergeant Koenig closed down one of
the sideshows, which was
advertising as a Salome dance, but
was nothing more than the "hootchy
kootchy." Chief Sullivan
investigated the dance, and seeing
that it was not fit for women and
children to witness, ordered it
closed.
Gambling games,
which were conducted in some of
the sideshows, were also closed
down, as those running them
violated their word with Chief
Sullivan, who allowed them to run
some games, but as soon as the
games were started "brace games"
were introduced, which the
officers promptly closed down.Medford
Daily
Tribune, April 20,
1909, page 3

Medford
Mail, April 23, 1909

CROWDS
FLOCK INTO CITY;
IT'S CIRCUS DAY, YOU KNOW

"Shrieking
his rollicking roundelay, a monster
marched through the town; He woke
the echoes, disturbed the peace, and
shouted defiance to the police, He
frightened the horses, annoyed the dogs,
and even the autos trembled, But the
youngsters rejoiced at the din he made
and followed his way with glee As
youngsters have done since in Hamelin
town, another piper of high renown Created
havoc across the sea, so latter-day
children are wont to be Entranced
by the singing cal-i-o-pe."
Again the painted
wagons rolled through the streets, and
everybody, young and old, feasted their
eyes on the spectacle of the circus parade
that Norris & Rowe brought to the city
this morning.
When the long circus
trains unloaded at the depot this morning
Norris & Rowe received their annual
demonstration of welcome. The small boy
was much in evidence as was also the big
boys, and they worked with unflagging
interest in assisting men and horses to
the circus lot. The big tent is filled
this afternoon, and for the convenience of
those unable to attend the matinee, the
whole thing will be repeated tonight, when
a number of attractive special features
will be added.
The Norris & Rowe
enterprise is properly conducted, and it
offers all the ecstatic thrills and
aesthetic delights demanded of a circus.
It begins in the good old way. Three bands
are united and march around the ring to a
most inspiring air. Elephants come
lumbering after, holding each others'
tails. After that is the camels,
dromedaries and then, delight of delights,
shade of chivalry, the knights and
princesses ride in graceful ranges, garbed
in such glory as to outshine the pomp of
power. Then come the clowns, humble
Yoricks of the sawdust, and then the
pageant melts away and in the two rings
upon the elevated stage and high aloft
toward the billowing tent top there is a
riot of daring deeds. It is hard to follow
all the things they do and say in a
circus, but the excitement of trying makes
life worth living.
"The circus has comed!"
So shouted the small
boy to the world this morning, and then he
got busy with watching all of the
never-failing delights of unloading and
moving and setting up, and the parading
and all of the countless thousand and one
things that go to make a circus day
complete. This afternoon he is contentedly
sitting on the same old hard bleachers
munching peanuts and letting his illumined
being [be] o'errun with the deluge of
delightful sensations that he receives.
Circus day is an event in his life, and
the older people go, hoping against hope
that they will again turn old time
backward in his flight and experience some
of the delights that belong to the
youngster.
The city was filled
early in the day with people who drove in
from miles around to witness the
performance. They lunched wherever they
could, many picnicked, while a number
filled up on the circus day lemonade (?),
peanuts and popcorn. The hawkers were busy
early with their fancy whips and countless
other circus day souvenirs. The show
played to a large attendance, but nothing
to be compared with the 11,500 that turned
out to see Buffalo Bill in October last.
The merchants of the
city did a splendid business. Saturday is
always a good day with them, and
especially so when the crowds come in as
they did today. Withal circus day is a
busy day in Medford.
Norris & Rowe will
give a second performance this evening,
and there is no doubt but that a larger
crowd will be out than was this afternoon.
The circus was delayed
to some extent by the wreck yesterday in
the neighborhood of Dunsmuir. They arrived
early enough, however, to get in shape by
show time. Medford
Daily
Tribune, April 24, 1909, page 1

AN
HONEST MANDiogenes Would Not
Have Searched in Vain in
Medford

In
the
olden times, before the Standard
Oil Company had entered into a
neck-to-neck race with the Creator
for the possession of the
universe, an old, eccentric
gentleman by the name of Diogenes
contrived him a crude lantern and
went on a still hunt after an
honest man. Success, it seems, did
not attend the efforts of Diogenes
to discover an individual with
whom honesty had even a speaking
acquaintance. At least the
chronicles of the times fail to
give any information that might
lead us to suspect such a
discovery on the part of the
explorer.
Had Diogenes
lived in the present century,
however, and found his way to
Medford during his wanderings, a
far different story would have
been inscribed on the pages of
history. The name of I. H.
Merriman of Central Point would
have been engraved in letters of
gold as the man upon whom the rays
of Diogenes' tallow dip had fallen
and drawn forth the cry of
"Eureka!" from the astonished
Diogenes.
Mr. Merriman
was in town today, and in the
course of conversation with a
number of friends unconsciously
testified to the fact that he
could tell the truth when the
majority of men would have
manufactured a double-lined,
copper-plated falsehood without
once considering that another
square was punched from their
mileage ticket to heaven by so
doing.
"Brought the
children in to see the circus?"
remarked one of the party to
Merriman.
"No, siree,"
replied Merriman. "I brought the
children, all right, but only as a
matter of justice. I like to see
the big elephants, the openwork
tigers and the bearded lady, just
as well as the youngsters do. I
like a circus and make no bones
about the fact."Medford
Mail,
April 30, 1909, page 2

CROWDS
FLOCK INTO MEDFORD TO SEE CIRCUSSells-Floto Show
Brings Joy to the Hearts of
Medford's Young and Old--
Creditable Array of Finery.
QUEEN ANN ADDITION IS
POPULAR PART OF TOWN
Splendid Parade Witnessed on
the Crowded Streets in the
Business Section.

The
Queen Ann domain in the east part of
town was the most precious bit of
acreage in Medford today--at least to
those of the young set and
"upward"--for with the rising of the
sun came a whole train load of the
dandiest circus things--red wagons,
canvas by the hundred yards, side
shows, peanuts, pink lemons and
tartaric acid (brought for the purpose
of giving the lemonade) and everything
that goes to make the hearts of young
people and old ones, too, rejoice.

Medford
Mail, May 14, 1909

The
weather was fine, and the country folk
besieged the town early. Townspeople
joined merrily in the crowd that thronged
the streets, and the balloon man vended
his wares to the intense delight of many a
"precious little darling," while everybody
waited to see the elephants.

Parade
Source of Delight.

The parade started
promptly at 10 o'clock from the circus
grounds and, traversing several of the
residence streets, wound its way, shedding
happiness and awe in its pathway, back to
the main street, continuing thence
eastward to the grounds. It was a
creditable turnout, lacking none of the
features that go to make a circus parade
interesting, and many of its features were
exceptionally fine. The Armour sextet of
dapple gray draft horses is [by] far the
most handsome turnout of horseflesh ever
exhibited here.

Big
Crowd Attends.

The big circus tent was
crowded early this afternoon in spite of
the fact that this circus closely follows
one last month. Sells-Floto have many
things to delight the young and old alike,
and many were there to enjoy themselves.
A big time is promised
people this evening, and doubtless the
circus management will do well here.Medford
Daily
Tribune, May 17, 1909, page 1

One hundred and
twenty-five wagons passed our house up
to 10 o'clock with from two to four
passengers bound from the north of the
county, bound for the circus.J. G. Martin, "North Medford
Notes," Medford
Mail, May 21, 1909, page 8

HUGE
CROWDS FILL CITY
TO SEE CIRCUSTrains from Nearby
Cities Jammed with Humanity
On Their Way To See the Big
Circus
SMALL BOY IS IN HIS ELEMENT
TODAY
Papa and Mamma and All the
Kids
Flock to the Queen Anne
Addition Today

Oyez!
Oyez! Oyez! The circus has come again.
The seal of the great Ringling
Brothers' show has been stamped upon
Medford, and once more with joyous
accord we revel in the sights and
sounds and scents of a
never-to-be-forgotten love--the big
show.
Like huge white
birds the mammoth tents stretch
surrounded by the gaily colored
wagons, resplendent in much gilt, the
great flapping poster, recitals of the
side show attractions, and any number
of peanuts, lemonade, candy and
popcorn booths, without which a circus
would be as "Hamlet" with Hamlet left
out.
The usual
scattering of small boys with
ventilator trousers and wide,
questioning eyes, waited outside to
hear the elephants--28, count 'em--and
perchance be taken inside the tent by
some philanthropist with memories of
another circus day agone. Bold, blase
paterfamilias, with gleaming eyes and
the circus fever itching every spot of
his anatomy, had been coerced into
bringing the children. Old ladies,
holding their reticules firmly against
the pit of their stomachs, hosts and
hosts of happy boys and girls. Youth
and old age alike snuffed the sawdust
and turned handsprings to the places.
Crowds from all nearby cities came as
delegations, hundreds strong. Trains
from every direction, east, west,
south and north, brought in a merry,
merry crowd of merry makers.
The animals would
have been pickin's for one T.R.
Dromedaries and camels, with their
backs up, were objects of interest
chiefly because they can go 90 days
without a drink. Kings of the forest
roared beautifully and at regular
intervals, and tossed their manes in
true jungle book style. Lady lions
inclined languidly by and looked bored
at their high lords' noisings.
Freckled leopards, clumsy bears, timid
deer, mountain lions, tigers and a
herd of mammoth pachyderms, or in
Americanus vulgaris, "effalunts," were
among the list of eye-holders.
And such a crowd.
Everyone was there to see the bizarre,
bantering, button-breaking comical
convocation of clownish celebrities,
the gyroscopic and gymnastic
jeopardies of graceful girls, the
dainty, dexterous and daring displays
of equitation, the agile exploits of
equilibrium and the crowning
culminating climax of transcendent
terrible thrilldom, the desperately
dangerous quintessence of aerialism.

Southern
Oregonian, August 28, 1909,
page 1

OVER
13,000 PEOPLE SAW BIG CIRCUSRecord Crowd
Turned Out To Greet Ringling
Brothers on Their Appearance
Last Saturday.
JUDGE KELLY STOPPED
HIGH-PRICED MOTORISTS
Refused Admission to Those
Drivers Who Charged 50 Cents
a Trip to the Grounds.

A total of 13,000 people saw
Ringling Brothers' circus
Saturday, 8000 in the afternoon
and 5000 in the evening. The
attendance was a record-smasher
for Medford, though 11,800
attended the one performance that
Buffalo Bill's Wild West show gave
a year ago, which stands as the
record crowd at one performance.
On account of
the oppressive heat in the
afternoon, much discomfort
attended the performance, though
the heat was not as intense as it
was Friday at Roseburg, where the
evening performance was abandoned
because of the exhaustion of
performers. Five thousand is the
record crowd for evening
performances in Medford.
Because part of
the automobilists charged 50 cents
a head for taking people to the
circus instead of 25 cents, which
has heretofore been the charge,
Judge E. E. Kelly, owner of Queen
Anne addition, on which the circus
tents were pitched, refused
entrance upon his property to the
50-cent motorists and thereby
occasioned quite a little
excitement on the grounds.
Sheriff Wilbur
A. Jones and Deputy Sheriff
William Ulrich spent the day
guarding the county bridge over
Bear Creek, forbidding fast
driving or motoring over the
bridge. Several who attempted to
disregard warnings were threatened
with arrest.Medford
Daily
Tribune, August 30,
1909, page 1

Was
there anybody in the city
yesterday attending the circus
from the southern part of the
county? The Morning
Mail
candidly believes
there was. A party of three
reliable gentlemen, two of
whom were non-residents of
this state and were here
looking over the valley, drove
down from Phoenix after the
show was over in the
afternoon, and these gentlemen
all agree that the number of
wagons, hacks, buggies and
autos that they met in coming
that five miles was at the
very least 250, and all were
fully loaded with people."Local
and
Personal,"
Medford Mail, September
3, 1909, page 2

The
domain in the north part of town was the
most precious bit of acreage in Medford
today--at least to those of the young set
and "upward"--for with the rising of the
sun came a whole trainload of the dandiest
circus things--red wagons, canvas by the
hundred yards, side shows, peanuts, pink
lemons and tartaric acid (brought for the
purpose of making the lemonade) and
everything that goes to make the hearts of
young people and old ones, too, rejoice.
The weather was fine,
and the country folk besieged the town
early. Townspeople joined merrily in the
crowd that thronged the streets, and the
balloon man vended his wares to the
intense delight of many a "precious little
darling," while everybody waited to see
the elephants.
The parade started
promptly at 10 o'clock from the circus
grounds, and, traversing several of the
residence streets, wound its way, shedding
happiness and awe in its pathway, back to
the main street, continuing thence
eastward to the grounds. It was a
creditable turnout, lacking none of the
features that go to make a circus parade
interesting, and many of its features were
exceptionally fine. The Armour Sextet of
dapple gray draft horses is [by] far the
most handsome turnout of horseflesh ever
exhibited here.
The big circus tent was
crowded early this afternoon. Sells-Floto
have many things to delight the young and
old alike, and many were there to enjoy
themselves.
A big time is promised
people this evening, and doubtless the
circus management will do well here.Medford
Mail
Tribune, May 16, 1910, page 8

CIRCUS
CITY OF ITS SELFPopulation of 1280
People, 700 Horses, 1200
Wild Animals with Barnum and
Bailey--
How Huge Caravan Is Managed.

The
show
ground of the Barnum and Bailey circus
is a city in itself, lacking only a
town council and a state charter. It
has its own lawyers, painters,
detectives, blacksmiths, wagon makers,
laundrymen, barbers, shoemakers,
tailors, sail makers, harness makers,
storekeepers and photographers. It
supports an electric lighting plant, a
hospital and a hotel, where 4,000
meals are cooked and eaten every day
in the week.
This circus city
has a population of 1,280 people, 700
horses, forty elephants and 1,200
other wild and semi-domestic animals.
At night the home of this army is a
train over one mile in length. In a
single season this train travels about
40,000 miles, making stops in about
200 cities and giving over 400
performances. In its fifty-fifth year
of life the show has exhibited in
every city of any size in the world.
Royalty has applauded it. The
peasantry has hailed its appearance
with delight. Its prestige is
established in every country. It is,
of course, an American institution,
though it is quite as well known in
Europe and Asia as in the United
States.
The home offices of
the show are located in New York City
and Chicago. The winter quarters are
at Bridgeport, Conn. The foreign
workshops are in Stoke-on-Trent,
England, and foreign agencies are
maintained in London, Liverpool,
Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienna,
Hamburg, Calcutta, Hong Kong,
Capetown, Melbourne, Constantinople
and Buenos Aires.
The wonderful
policy of P. T. Barnum and the
remarkable system put into operation
by James A. Bailey are still the
active principles of the management.
Not a year has passed without
improvement and growth. On Monday,
August 29, at 10 a.m. the show will
come to Medford for 1 performance
only, with an entire new equipment
from the great imported vehicles of
the forenoon parade to the last stitch
in the fourteen acres of canvas. The
program offered is the best ever
presented by this show. Almost without
exception it is made up of foreign
talent. There are 400 artists on the
list. The program opens with a new and
elaborate spectacle. For sensation and
thrills there are Desperado, who leaps
from the dome of the arena to the
ground, alighting on his bare chest;
Jupiter, a magnificent Arabian horse,
which takes a balloon ride and shoots
off fireworks high in the air; and
Charlie the First, a chimpanzee
marvel, who is the greatest bicycle
rider and acrobat on earth.
There are fifty
clowns, among them the Garcenittis,
who until recently were comedians in
the court of the Sultan of Turkey. The
Konyot family of equestrians, the
seven Patty-Franks, the Dollar
acrobats, Paula Peter's dog and monkey
comedy company, a brass band of
elephants, Winston's equestrian and
juggling seals, the La Faille
quartette of the world's strongest
men, the Berzac comedy horse circus
and Victoria Codona, the greatest
high-wire dancer on earth, are a few
more of the headliners of this great
show.
In the menagerie is
to be found the first and only giraffe
baby ever born or exhibited in the
United States. It is only three feet
in height. Its mother is twenty-two
feet tall.Medford
Mail Tribune, August 19,
1910, page 6

SMALL
BOY WAITS MONDAY ANXIOUSLY

The Barnum and Bailey greatest show
on earth will give one exhibition here
next Monday morning at 10 o'clock. The
event is of more than passing interest
to this community. It is the day the
small boy has been waiting for; the
circus posters have had him hypnotized
ever since they were pasted on the
billboards. Now the day draws near,
and, of course, Papa and Mama must go
just to take care of the children and
incidentally recall moments of their
own childhood.
It wasn't so very
long ago that a circus with one ring
was thought by old heads--then young
heads, by the way--to be a pretty big
affair. The one-ring show was changed
to two rings with a larger
circumference of canvas. Later the
series of circus circles was increased
to three, and then a big platform was
added.
But with the speed
of the American nation this was not
enough, and the hippodrome races,
which gave a brutal spice to old Roman
days, was added. The evolution of the
circus in this way has reached its
highest development and greatest
success under the direction of the
Barnum and Bailey management.
They now have a
show of colossal size as against what
history records, or the average man is
familiar with. When they strike their
tents in a given place instantly a
village arises, with a thousand or
more souls, each of whom has a
definite duty, and lends to the
systematic effect of the glorious
whole. And their sheltering roof of
canvas by the exact rules of
measurement represents thousands of
yards and affords not only a temporary
home for these many people, but for
500 or more horses, each of which has
a distinct office in the fulfillment
of a show-making scheme that has
lifted the name of the Barnum and
Bailey shows to a high place of honor.Medford
Mail
Tribune, August 26, 1910,
page 3

YOU GOT UP EARLY, NOW DIDN'T
YOU?Huge Crowds Flock
into City To See Big Circus
Parade at 8 o'Clock--
Greatest Show on Earth Gives
One Performance Only,
But That One Was Greatly
Enjoyed.

----

The
song
of the circus is heard in the
land,The banners are
silken from far Samarkand,They wave o'er
the wombat, the quagga and gnu,The camel, the
yak, the blithe kangaroo.

The hand-painted
zebra's a symphony grand,The song of the
circus is heard in the land.The poster is
blooming green, yellow and red,And stands the
blithe urchin with joy on his
head.

The barrel of
fancy we spin on our shoonAnd jump from
the nag through the paper
balloon.The song of the
circus is heard in the land--The trick mule
embroiders his tricks on the
sand.

The peanut
discourses its solo serene,With envy the
red lemonade's turning green;The clown on the
sawdust cavorts to the band--The song of the
circus is heard in the land.

----

Pa
was routed of bed in the cold grey dawn
this morning in order that the cows might
be milked, the pigs fed, and Nancy and
Dobbin hitched to the spring wagon in time
to get Ma and the kids into town in time
to see the big parade of the Barnum &
Bailey circus, scheduled at 8 o'clock. And
not alone did Pa arise. Mr. City Man was
in his office an hour earlier than usual
that he might get his work out of the way
so he could snatch an hour to see the mile
of gilt and glittering wagons. It was a
horrible hour for a circus, anyway, wasn't
it, Arabella?

Medford
Mail
Tribune, August 9, 1910

There
was no more popular spot in
Jackson County today than the 15
acres of ground occupied by Barnum
& Bailey just at the end of
the Main Street pavement. A
tremendous crowd gathered there
early today, and this afternoon
are wending their way homeward
with nothing but praise for the
"greatest show on earth."
Barnum &
Bailey arrived in the city Sunday
afternoon. They gave one
performance here at 10 a.m. and
are now leaving for the south.
When the Barnum
and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth
is packed away for the night and
speeding over the rails to its
next point of exhibition, it lives
in a rolling home over a mile in
length. This wonderful train is
divided in five sections. It is a
congress of nations on wheels, a
Noah's Ark of animals and a
world's fair of a thousand charms.
When the show
lies spread out for a day's
business it covers 14 acres of
ground. Over it waves a sea of
canvas, spotted with ten thousand
flags and banners. The spirit of
P. T. Barnum, the greatest showman
who ever lived, still animates its
faultless policy. The wonderful
system of James A. Bailey, that
has made the handling of the
gigantic proposition possible, is
still in evidence, urging it on
from year to year to better and
grander achievements.Medford
Mail
Tribune, August 29,
1910, page 1

That
principal feature with the Wild
West and Far East this season is a
reproduction of the Battle of
Summit Springs, one of the
deciding conflicts in the
government's task of subduing the
redskin. Colonel William F. Cody
(Buffalo Bill) participated in the
original battle on July 11, 1869,
at Summit Springs, near the
western border of Nebraska. In
this battle Chief Tall Bull, who
was in command of the renegade
Indians, or "Dog Soldiers," as
they were called, was shot and
killed by Buffalo Bill. This
important incident will, of
course, be reproduced as a part of
the realistic mimic battle.
General E. A. Carr, who was in
command of the government forces,
General E. M. Hayes, General
William P. Hall and other officers
who participated in the original
conflict, are still alive and will
be impersonated in the scene.
Incidental to the battle will be
shown many interesting features of
Indian life; the erection of an
Indian village will be depicted,
and incidents of Indian camp life
will be faithfully depicted.

Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 11, 1910

The attack by the troops under
General Carr will constitute a
stirring scene, and the rigors of war
will be dramatically illustrated. The
battle of Summit Springs, while the
chief feature of the exhibition, will
by no means constitute the only scene
of western life. There will also be
the overland emigrant train and
settlers' trailside camp, in which
scene there will be blended the
pleasures and pastimes of the
plainsmen with the horrors of an
Indian attack upon the whites. The
three big scenic features will be of
exceptional interest because of their
historic correctness, and because of
their value as replicas of scenes
taken from an eventful period in our
nation's past. The exhibitions of
horsemanship by the rough rider
contingent will form a novel and
interesting section of the program,
and at every performance the only and
original Buffalo Bill will be in the
saddle directing the entertainment and
participating therein. Contrasting
with these pictures of far western
life will be seen an oriental display
of great beauty; a pageantry of color
and customs in strong contrast to the
strenuous scenes and incidents of the
Wild West. Incidental to the Far East
scene, and as a special feature
thereof, Rossi's Musical Elephants
will be seen in a brilliant and truly
wonderful exhibition of animal
training.
This visit is
rendered interesting as the final
appearance here by Buffalo Bill.Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 15,
1910, page 3

BIG
CROWDS SEE OLD SCOUT

The usual large circus crowd
thronged the Medford streets from
surrounding towns between the
performances of Buffalo Bill's
Wild West Show. Colonel Cody, who
has been the big feature in his
big show since its first
exhibition in 1883, swears that
this is his last tour of the West.
One more year in the circus ring,
shooting at flying glass bulbs
before the cheering, surging
multitude, and the old scout will
repair to his farms in Wyoming.
When asked in his office this
morning at the show grounds if he
was tired of the show businesss,
he said:
"No. I never
get tired of excitement, but I
want to have a chance to enjoy my
farms at Cody, Wyoming, in the
Great Horn Valley. I have some
beautiful farms in Wyoming which I
have never seen during the green
season, as I have always been away
with my show."
The Wild West
show formed by the old veteran
scout, Colonel Cody, will not
cease with the retirement of
General Cody into private life,
but no longer will the colonel be
billed as the main feature of the
program.Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 25,
1910, page 5

The
Al G. Barnes Circus parade makes a
U-turn in Madras, Oregon 1911

Ashland
Tidings,
May 16, 1912

Barnum
and Bailey at Medford.

The
Barnum
& Bailey "Greatest Show on Earth"
will exhibit at Medford Saturday
August 29th for two performances, and
street parade will be given. In recent
seasons the big circus has had
spectacular features, but this season
the management has gone to untold
expense in investing the big circus
with a wonderfully brilliant
pageant of Oriental splendor entitled
"The Wizard Prince of Arabia." This
colossal innovation is offered at the
opening of the show, thereby doing
away with the old, stereotyped "grand
entree" idea which has been worked to
death by all the tented aggregations
throughout the land.
In this realistic
reproduction of the glamorous,
eventful days of the land of the
"Thousand and One Nights," Barnum
& Bailey engage the services of
more than 2,000 persons which embraces
the dancing activities of hundreds of
gaily bedecked coryphées and a grand
ballet effect at the finale which
leaves a lasting impression.
The spectacle opens
with an elaborately decorated setting
of Arabic land where there is much
confusion over the departure of the
prince and his five wizards, who
perform modern-day miracles in helping
their noble master conquer strange
domains. The subsequent adventures of
the prince and his wizardly retinue
which sets forth from their native
heath with horses gaily caparisoned
and amid a great and gorgeous
spectacle. In quick succession follows
the invasion of King Babar's realm in
India, where by magic aid of the five
wizards the prince is enabled to win
the heart and hand of the king's
daughter. There's a magnificent
wedding feast which is produced in
kaleidoscopic splendor, teeming with
life, action and color. The ballet
finale was pronounced by the press of
New York City to be the last word in
circus pageantry.Central
Point
Herald, August 13, 1914,
page 1

Stanko Bros. pitched their show tent at the ball
park Friday and gave an exhibition in the evening. The attendance, like
the performance, was slim.
"Local News," Jacksonville
Post, June 5, 1915, page 3

Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 1, 1915

Al
G. Barnes circus will show in this city
tomorrow, and a large crowd is assured. It
will be the only circus to appear in this
city this year."Local and Personal," Medford
Mail Tribune, September 1,
1915, page 2

BARNES
CIRCUS
SHOWS IN MEDFORD TOMORROW, SEPT.
2

After
weeks of anticipation, with daily
inspection of the billboards and
pictures in the store windows, the
small boy comes into his own tomorrow.
The Big Barnes Wild Animal Circus will
be here to entertain young America and
his parents and other relatives.
A big circus,
bristling with as much new
entertainment as the Barnes show
provides, always sends a thrill along
the spinal column of every red-blooded
youngster and grownup. And why
shouldn't it--it's the big fun day of
the year, the day when folks for miles
around come to town to meet and visit
their friends and join in having
a good time.
The day's
festivities commence with the parade,
which leaves the show grounds to
traverse the principal downtown
streets promptly at 10:30. This
pageant is instructive as well as
alluring and represents the greatest
monetary value ever assembled in a
circus parade, due to the great value
of many trained animals. Many cages of
wild animals are shown--the finest
specimens of their kind in captivity.
The great troupe of
Barnes world's prize-winning horses
and ponies are shown in the parade,
which are claimed to be the most
beautiful, best bred and best trained
horses known to exist.
Many thrilling wild
animal acts are introduced by men and
women trainers during the show's
performance. Sixty lions, tigers and
leopards and thirty bears are shown in
these acts, twenty-four full-grown
man-eating lions being handled in one
group by one trainer.
Thirty huge bears
are performed in another act. Then
there's educated zebras and laughing
hyenas. A tiny pony rides on the back
of an elephant. African lions ride
galloping horses; one jumps through
hoops of fire. Another lion rides in a
balloon and shoots fireworks. A troupe
of over 600 educated animals are
shown.
Fifty clowns,
rib-tickling animals, provide fun for
the kids.Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 1,
1915, page 3

The Al G.
Barnes wild animal show exhibited
in this city Thursday without an
untoward incident. A large crowd
attended both performances. The
animal acts were unusually good. A
feature of the show is the band,
which is probably the best circus
band in the land. They gave a
concert on Main Street Thursday
evening."Local and Personal," Medford
Mail Tribune, September 3,
1915, page 2

Medford
Sun, May 21, 1916

Medford
Sun, September 3, 1916

Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 23, 1916

SELLS-FLOTO
CIRCUS COMES TO MEDFORD WITH BIG
SHOW

There's only one direction in
Medford today, and that is toward
South Holly Street. The very air
spells circus, for during the early
hours of morning several trainloads of
happiness reached the city via the
Southern Pacific, and like the Arabs
of old, a veritable city of tents were
soon wafted to the breezes. Hardly had
the cars been "spotted" in the yards
until a multitude of souls poured
forth; souls from many climes, and all
with a certain work to perform. Of
course, the unloading process came
first, and to the delight of the small
boy, the wagons and canvas-covered
cages--all labeled "Dangerous"--began
rolling off the cars and were hurried
away to the circus grounds one after
another. To the younger generation
keen disappointment was felt when it
was learned that Jess Willard was
still sleeping peacefully in his
private car and could not be viewed by
the multitudes.
The parade was
fully two miles in length. Tableaux
wagons, floats, elephants drawing guns
and other novelties abounded..
There was a Wild
West section; real bonneted Indians,
South American gauchos, Mexican
vaqueros and the typical American
cowboy were the features of this
section.
A troupe of gaily
clad Zouaves--drummers and buglers on
foot--were in the line of march. Bands
of music were plentifully scattered
throughout the parade, dispensing
music such as only a circus band can,
and calliopes--well, there were two in
line, as well as a large set of the
Chimes of Normandy, presided over by
an attractive young lady. It was a
wonderful parade and well worth
seeing.
Two performances
will be given today at 2 p.m. and 8
o'clock. Doors open one hour earlier
in order to give everybody an
opportunity to visit the large
menagerie, ostrich farm and Toyland.Medford
Mail
Tribune, September 28,
1916, page 5

CIRCUS, BARRED FROM CITY, UNABLE
TO GIVE PARADEDISTANCE NO BAR TO
CIRCUS CROWDS AT FAIRGROUNDS
Little Ones Miss Free Show
Given in Street Parade as
Permit To Parade
Is Refused by Mayor--Show
Bigger and Better Than Ever.

CIRCUS
DAY TIPS

The
attraction today
is Sells-Floto
Circus, located on
the fairgrounds,
where two
performances are
scheduled, 2 and 8
o'clock, doors
opening an hour
earlier. At 1:30
and 7:30 o'clock,
[omission]
band begins a
lengthy program of
popular, standard
and patriotic
music and the
mysterious widow
appears. Annexes
open until 10
tonight.

Circus
day
and no circus parade.
Can you imagine it?
Yes,
perhaps some of the older
folk can, but the
kiddies--
Disappointed--yes they
were--hundreds of them,
'cause they always expect,
always look forward to the
great sights given in
these grand free street
pageants. And this, for
numbers of little tots, is
their only glimpse of the
big attractions on circus
day, for many of them do
not get to attend the
performance.

Circus
As Scheduled

But
circus day, nevertheless,
is here, and it is the
Sells-Floto Circus, the
big red, white and blue
cars carrying the tons of
paraphernalia, the
hundreds of horses and
ponies, the dens of wild
animals and 600 people
having arrived in the wee
sma' hours of the morning
from Montague, where a
large business was done
yesterday.
The
great wagons, after being
brought down the runs,
were hastened to the
fairgrounds, where
Sells-Flotoville is the
place of amusement for
today and tonight only.
The
parade, which was
scheduled for this
morning, was declared off,
as the city would not
permit, it so only the
performances will take
place as scheduled, one
for this afternoon and the
other for tonight, the
latter beginning at 8
o'clock, doors opening one
hour early.

Under
Big Tops This
Afternoon

"La-a-a-de-e-ez
and gen-tell-mun,
Sells-Floto challenges the
wurruld to produce its
equal in a-muse-ment,
ed-gew (with a soft "G")
kay-shun and
di-vertise-ment
com-bin-ing ev-eree
ex-ee-bishun with
champeens giv-ing odd,
nov-el and
speck-tack-yew-lur
per-forman-ces."
And
with that announcement
from a leather-lunged
announcer, whose voice
could be heard a mile on a
clear day, the Sells-Floto
Circus, which the genial
press agent admits is the
"most astounding
aggregation of talent, a
world of glitter, gold,
gladness, music and
melody, ever brought
together under a mammoth
canvas," made its bow in
Medford today on the
fairgrounds.

Alphabetically
Outlined

Painting
the Sells-Floto Circus
alphabetically, it really
is an aggregation of
acrobats, bears, camels,
dogs, elephants, gorillas,
horses, an ibex, jaguars,
kangaroos, llamas,
mountain lions, Nubian
lions, orang outangs,
panthers, quadrumanous
animals, ring-tailed
monkeys, sables, tigers,
urials, vampires, walrus,
yellowhammers, zerus and
zebras, not to mention
Alice, from Dallas, "the
fattest girl in the
world," and Traveno, the
man with two heads. It's
all circus!
To the
small boy seeing his first
circus, it is a midsummer
night's dream of revelry,
beauty and action--a
fairyland of frills and
silver gauze, of sylph
fairies in silken tights.
Judging from the
youngster's eyes, it is
some enchanted dreamland
where naught but beauty
dwells and where all the
inhabitants perform
impossible feats. To this
boy queens of the air flew
from heights to heights
and made a joke of the law
of gravitation. Ponderous
elephants stood upon their
heads and walked erect
upon their hind feet,
turned somersaults and
other remarkable stunts
gymnastic. To this
youngster every clown was
a "Silvers" personified,
and he howled with glee
when the clowns cut up in
age-old form.

Patriotic
Spirit

Along
with a fast-moving show,
the Sells-Floto people
infuse a spirit of
patriotism that makes the
heart beat faster. Old
Glory is constantly in
evidence. Instead of the
usual wind-up--the
hippodrome races--the
circus band arises and
plays "The Star-Spangled
Banner." Even the
perspiring circus hands
drop their ropes to
uncover and stand at
attention until the last
note dies away.

Take
the Kiddies

So,
if you have no little
kiddies of your own, just
grab one or two of your
neighbor's, take them as
your guests for an
evening, as they will
enjoy making the
acquaintance of the
ponies, monkeys, the
elephants, and they will
also like to get a glimpse
of Colossus, the giant
gorilla, the only living
animal of the kind in
captivity.
And by
taking them you will
gladden their little
hearts and also will be
happy yourselves.Medford
Mail
Tribune, June
8, 1918, page 4

The Brown Carnival
Company, which shows
here the rest of this
week, arrived in the
city this forenoon
from Springfield,
Ore., and at once
began the work of
unloading the carnival
cars and putting up
the various tents and
amusement devices on
the grounds on North
Fir Street, just north
of the Big Pines
Lumber Company plant."Local Briefs,"
Medford
Mail
Tribune, October
20, 1919, page 2

Notwithstanding the very large crowd of
people in Medford yesterday for the circus there was not an accident or
trouble of any kind, or untoward incident, according to the police
reports. There were no burglaries or cases of pocketpicking. In fact,
the day was rather a remarkable one in the history of circus visits in
Medford."Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, May 5, 1921, page 2

It was a queer circus day here today to
the local people and visitors in that there was no parade, but the
crowds began gathering early this forenoon to see the big Ringling
Bros. and Barnum and Bailey show, and get what excitement they could on
the streets. There was general disappointment when it was announced
that but one performance would be given and that at 6 p.m.
The time-honored toy balloons and such circusy and
holiday stuff were on sale on the streets early this morning before
even a sign of the coming circus was seen."Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, August 25, 1923, page 2

Fire Chief Fails to Obtain Rest Even at Circus

Fire Chief Roy Elliott went to the Tom Mix circus yesterday afternoon
for relaxation. He was comfortably relaxed in a sideshow when his
professional nose smelled smoke.
The chief quickly traced the smoke to a circus truck
containing sleeping quarters which had caught fire from an electric
heater. Hurriedly Mr. Elliott grabbed two of three fire extinguishers
from parked automobiles and put the blaze out. Much of the bedding was
destroyed by the fire.
Medford Mail Tribune, May 6, 1936, page 4

MINER SUES MIX FOR DAMAGES IN CIRCUS ACCIDENT

Harvey Deck, a miner, alleging "careless and negligent use of a lariat"
by Tom Mix, movie cowboy, during a circus performance here last
Tuesday afternoon, today filed suit for $10,000 damages against the
film star, as owner of the "Tom Mix Circus."
Deck alleges in the complaint that Mix, while in the
main arena giving a roping exhibition, attempted to lasso a horse and
in so doing negligently and carelessly threw out said rope as to
catch plaintiff, "over the head and under the chin," causing Deck
to be hurled into the main runway of the circus, where he was struck
and knocked down "by the horse the said Mix was attempting to lasso."
The complaint further states that Deck, at the time
of the accident, was a paid spectator, and standing in a space reserved
for spectators. The plaintiff claims he was rendered unconscious by the
fall, and suffered injuries to his shoulder, neck, head, arm and chest.
Deck further asserts that by reason of the accident
he is unable to pursue his work as a miner, and earn $25 per month.
Newbury and Newbury appear as counsel for Deck in the action.Medford Mail Tribune, May 11, 1936, page 5

Tom Mix, film and circus star, today filed bonds in circuit court for
the transfer of the $10,000 suit of Harvey Deck, Gold Hill district
miner, to the federal court.
Deck alleges that while attending the Tom Mix circus
in this city, May 5, Mix, while attempting to lasso a horse in the
arena, committed an error and the lariat fell around his neck and
shoulders, inflicting injuries.Medford Mail Tribune, May 29, 1936, page 1

SUIT AGAINST MIX IS SENT TO U.S. COURT

By an order signed by Circuit Judge H. D. Norton, the damage suit of
Harvey Deck, Gold Hill miner, against Tom Mix, movie equestrian and
circus owner, is transferred to the federal court for the Oregon
district. The case will probably be heard at the annual federal court
term for the southern Oregon district next October here.
Deck claims that while a paid spectator at the
appearance of the Tom Mix circus here May 5, the film cowboy, in
attempting to show his skill with a lariat, missed a horse in the arena
and lassoed him instead. He alleges he was thrown to the ground and
injured.Medford Mail Tribune, June 9, 1936, page 2

ACCORD REACHED IN TOM MIX SUIT

Settlement was announced today of the $10,000 suit of Harvey Deck of
Gold Hill against Tom Mix, western star of the circus and cinema. The
suit was scheduled to come up in the session of federal court which
opened here today.
Although withholding concrete figures, Don Newbury,
of Newbury & Newbury, counsel for Mr. Deck, stated the settlement
was for a "substantial amount."
It was alleged that Mr. Deck, who is 77 years old,
was injured when he was accidentally lassoed by Tom Mix when his circus
played here last May 5. Mr. Deck brought suit for $10,000.
Randall Jones, member of the Portland law firm of
McDougal & Jones, representing Mr. Mix, conferred here last week
with the Newburys, and terms of settlement were accepted yesterday by
the Portland attorneys, Don Newbury said.Medford Mail Tribune, December 1, 1936, page 3

June 23, 1942 Medford
Mail
Tribune

ARTHUR BROS. CIRCUS BETTER THAN EVER, PLAY TWO DAYS

Considerably improved over a year ago, the Arthur Brothers circus
showed to huge crowds here Wednesday and Thursday, and left circus
lovers with a renewal of the feeling that "there's nothing to compare
with a circus."
Outstanding, as last year, were Capt. Jorgen
Christiansen's famous Criollo Stallions. Capt. Christiansen, who has
spent his life training horses, both in Europe and in the United
States, has developed his horses into an act which approaches the
unbelievable. To those who love horses, that act alone is worth the
price of the show.
The Escalante Troupe of trapeze performers, always
thrilling, were better than ever, and the clown alley was busy all
evening. But writing about a circus is an almost impossible task. You
simply have to see it.
Joe and Moe, the twin baby elephants, and the only
ones in this country, took the eyes of kids and adults alike. They are
getting a good start in circus life, and by the time they are grown up
will almost be running the show.Medford News, May 5, 1944, page 1

The Circus Is Coming!

Forty wild, ferocious Nubian lions and Bengal tigers, male and female,
comprise the vast group of snarling, treacherous, man-eating beasts
which Clyde Beatty, king of the steel arena, will face when the newly
combined Clyde Beatty and Russell Bros. Circus comes to Medford Tuesday
and Wednesday, June 20 and 21.
Although still a young man, Beatty is unchallenged
as the greatest wild animal trainer the world has ever known. He has
been bitten, clawed and mauled, but this nerveless man of slight build
still defies his ferocious charges twice daily.
Once Nero, a huge Nubian black-maned lion, beat off
an enraged tiger which was mauling Beatty during a performance. Strange
to say, just one year later Nero himself leaped from his perch,
attacked Beatty, and sent the famous trainer to the hospital with a
body ripped and shredded by claws and fangs.
Continually augmenting his startling arenic
exhibition with new features and thrills, Beatty has this season added
to his display King and Kitty, huge lion and tiger, which sit up on
their haunches at his command and wave their big front paws to the
circus crowds. He also presents the world-famous "Nigger," a Bengal
tiger which rolls over and over like a kitten, then flies into a
tornadic spin.
The Clyde Beatty and Russell Bros. combined
performance embraces many additional trained animal features, including
Mrs. Harriet Beatty's renowned elephant-riding tiger, famous high
school horse and highly trained troupes of performing dogs, ponies, sea
lions, chimpanzees and elephants.
Performances are presented twice daily at 2:30 and 8
p.m., with doors to the menagerie opening at 1 and 7 o'clock.
The circus grounds are near the intersection of Riverside and South Central.Medford New, June 16, 1944, page 4

1945

In days gone by, as days do, the Ringling Brothers
circus was not too proud to play a one-day stand in a field near the
Jackson School. One year, an aging Tom Mix (a great star of westerns
when such pictures had the understandably simple plot of a cowboy in
love with his horse) appeared with the circus and was involved in a
most embarrassing incident. It was on a warm day in July that Tom Mix
sent his lariat spinning out to capture a fleeing calf in the arena
when the loop dropped neatly over the shoulders of a Medford spectator,
jerking him from his seat and into the ring. Old Tom was still
apologizing as he entered the court room, destined to emerge as the
loser in a civil suit.J.W.S., "Circus Days," Medford Mail Tribune, April 14, 1963, page 4